Mitosis Worksheet

7.1 How Long Does the Cell Stay in Each Phase of Mitosis?
You can estimate the relative amount of time each cell spends in each mitotic phase (as
well as in interphase) by counting the number of cells observed in each phase. Count the
number of cells in each phase in one field of view under 400× (image provided on the next
page). Tally the number of cells in each phase in the table below the slide image on the next
page.
Because the cross section of a given cell may not have been through the area of the
nucleus or the spindle, only count cells that have a clearly defined nucleus (for interphase) or
cells in which you clearly see stained chromosomes (for prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and
telophase).

Illustrated example:
Onion Root Tip Image Slide:

Interphase Prophase Metaphase Anaphase Telophase

36 2 0 2 1

The assumption is that at a given point in time, the number of cells in a given phase of division
is proportional to the length of time of that phase (i.e., the fewer cells, the shorter the relative
time). Is this a valid assumption? Which phase appears to be the longest? The shortest? In the
onion root tip, does interphase last longer than all of the phases of mitosis combined?

If a stage takes longer to complete, more cells will appear to be in that stage.
However, given this is one sample, it wouldn’t be a very accurate indication of the
duration of phases in general. Most of the cells in the slide appear to be in
interphase, and thus interphase is the longest. In this slide, it appears that since
no cells are in metaphase, metaphase would be the shortest (it isn’t, anaphase is).
Interphase consists of 87.8% of all the cells—vastly outnumbering cells in all other
phases--and thus appears to last longer than all the phases of mitosis combined.