The diagram shows the transition stage between prophase and metaphase stage of mitotic cell division.

The mitotic cell division occurs in somatic cells of an organism. The chromosome number in the daughter cells remain same as that of the parent (dividing) cell, so even at metaphase or anaphase, the chromosome number does not change. The DNA content gets doubled at the synthetic phase of interphase and gets divided at anaphase but the chromosome number remains same.

Such a condition may arise in case of a mosaic or mosaicism, which denotes preserve of two or more populations of cells with different genotypes in one individual. It can result from various mechanisms including non-disjunction, anaphase lagging and endoreplication. It may also result from a mutation during development which is propagated to only a subset of the adult cells. In this case, cells with 16 chromosomes could have arisen from cells with 32 chromosomes.

(a) Prophase (b) Telophase (c) Anaphase (d) S-phase

(a) If nuclear membrane fails to disintegrate, the spindle fibres would not be able to reach chromosomes and they would not move towards opposite poles of the cell. In certain protozoans, such as Amoeba, the spindle is formed within the nucleus and this is called intranuclear mitosis or pre-mitosis.

(b) If DNA duplication does not occur than cell might not be able to surposs S-phase of cell-cycle as no chromosome formation will take place, and will not be able to enter M-(mitotic phase) or if in case it enters mitosis the cycle will cease,

(c) If the centromeres do not divide,one of the daughter cell will receive a complete pair of chromosomes and other cell would not get any of them. This may result in trisomy.

(d) If cytokinesis does not occur, then multinucleate condition called coenocyte, syncytium is produced, as in Rhizopus and Vaucheria, etc.