Humber Admissions Practice Test

What happens during telophase?

1. Chromosomes condense into visible structures

2. Chromosomes begin to spread into a tangle of chromatin

3. Chromosomes align at the metaphase plate

4. Cells undergo full cytokinesis

The correct answer is: Chromosomes begin to spread into a tangle of chromatin

During telophase, the significant event is that the chromosomes begin to spread into a tangle of chromatin. This stage follows anaphase, where the sister chromatids have been pulled apart towards opposite poles of the cell. As telophase commences, the separated chromatids reach the poles and start to de-condense back into a less tightly packed form, known as chromatin. This transition is essential for the reformation of the nucleus around the chromatin, setting the stage for the final steps of cell division. By understanding this process, one can appreciate how the cell prepares for the final division into two daughter cells. The other choices do not accurately depict the events of telophase: chromosomes condensing into visible structures occurs during prophase; aligning at the metaphase plate happens during metaphase; and, while cytokinesis (the actual division of the cytoplasm) does occur in tandem with telophase, it is not the main process that characterizes telophase itself.