During mitosis, when do sister chromatids separate?

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

Answer: (C)

During mitosis, sister chromatids separate during the phase known as anaphase. In this stage, the connections that hold the sister chromatids together are broken, allowing them to be pulled apart to opposite poles of the cell. This process is crucial as it ensures that each daughter cell will receive an identical set of chromosomes, thereby maintaining the genetic integrity of the cells as they divide.

Prior to anaphase, during prophase, chromatids condense and the nuclear envelope breaks down, while in metaphase, the chromosomes line up at the cell's equatorial plane, known as the metaphase plate, but they do not separate yet. Telophase marks the end of mitosis, where the separated chromatids reach the poles, the nuclear envelope reforms, and the cell begins to divide into two distinct daughter cells, but the actual separation of sister chromatids has already occurred in anaphase.