telophase

Telophase is the final stage of mitosis, the process in which one cell's nucleus finishes dividing into two genetically matching nuclei. It is the closing part of a carefully ordered sequence. During the earlier stages, the chromosomes were copied, lined up, and pulled apart. In telophase, the cell starts to undo some of the changes that happened at the beginning of mitosis.

Several key events mark this stage. The chromosomes reach opposite poles of the cell and begin to decondense, changing from a tightly packed form back into a looser one. New nuclear envelopes form around each set of chromosomes, so two separate nuclei appear within the same cell. The spindle fibers that moved the chromosomes apart break down, and the cell usually begins cytokinesis, the process that divides the cytoplasm and produces two daughter cells.

You will see this word mostly in biology, especially in lessons about cells, genetics, and the cell cycle. It matters because correct cell division supports growth, tissue repair, and asexual reproduction. For example, a scientist studying cancer may look at mistakes in mitosis, including problems during this stage, because faulty cell division can lead to serious disease. If you are learning how living things grow and replace old cells, this is the stage where nuclear division wraps up and the cell gets ready to finish splitting in two.