Question

During mitosis, chromatin condenses into chromosomes, spindle fibers form from one end of the cell to the other, and centrioles organize the spindle fibers. Which stage of mitosis happens next?
Answer
Anaphase
Metaphase
Prophase
Telophase
need help plz

Answer 1

The phase you just described is prophase. How do I know this? Just remember PMAT for Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase in that order. I can remember that during Metaphase you have, simply called, a Metaphase Plate where all the chromosomes line up like this: See how they're lined up in the middle with the little spindle fibers like little ropes playing tug of war between the two centrioles?

Since you know that the metaphase plate happens during metaphase, and the only thing before that, according to your level biology, is prophase you can reason that they must have condensed up into those chromosomes from chromatin before that. You can think of chromatin as being like all the thread laying around the nucleus and prophase takes all that thread and sews it into one small, tightly woven sock. If you need more help or questions I'd like to try to help more!