During telophase, which events occur?

• A. Chromosomes de-condense and nuclear envelope reforms
• B. Spindle fibers re-form
• C. Chromatids separate
• D. Chromosomes align at equator

Answer: (A)

Telophase is the stage where the cell wraps up mitosis by reversing what happened earlier. The chromosomes arrive at opposite poles and begin to de-condense, returning from their highly condensed form to a thread-like state suitable for transcription. The nuclear envelope re-forms around each set of chromosomes, creating two separate nuclei within the cell. The spindle apparatus that organized chromosome separation largely disassembles as this process completes. Chromatid separation occurred earlier in anaphase, and chromosome alignment at the cell's equator happened in metaphase, so these events are not characteristic of telophase. Cytokinesis typically follows telophase, splitting the cytoplasm to produce two daughter cells.