What is the shortest phase of mitosis?

• A. Anaphase
• B. Prophase
• C. Metaphase
• D. Telophase

Answer: (A)

The question is asking about how long each mitosis phase typically lasts and which phase features the fastest events. The defining moment here is the sudden separation of sister chromatids and their rapid movement toward opposite poles.

During prophase, chromosomes condense and the spindle begins to form, which takes a noticeable amount of time. In metaphase, chromosomes line up along the center of the cell, a stable arrangement that also lasts long enough for proper attachment of microtubules to kinetochores. The key rapid event happens in anaphase: the centromeres split and the sister chromatids are pulled apart and pulled toward opposite ends of the cell. This motion is powered by shortening kinetochore microtubules and motor proteins, so it happens quickly. Because the essential packing and movement occur in a relatively brief burst, anaphase is typically the shortest phase. In telophase, the chromosomes arrive at the poles, the nuclear envelope re-forms, and the cell begins to divide its cytoplasm, processes that take longer than the quick chromatids separation.