Outline7 marksChallenge
A student prepared a root tip squash from an actively growing onion (Allium cepa) and counted the number of cells in each phase of the cell cycle. The results are shown in the table below.
| Stage | Number of cells |
|---|---|
| Interphase | 522 |
| Prophase | 78 |
| Metaphase | 14 |
| Anaphase | 9 |
| Telophase | 27 |
Outline the behaviour of chromosomes and associated structures (nuclear envelope, spindle, and cell surface membrane) during each stage of mitosis (prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase).
Using the data, state which stage of mitosis has the longest duration and explain how the data supports your conclusion.