Metaphase
Metaphase begins when the chromatid pairs line up along the center of the cell. They do this so that they can be in a position to migrate to opposite ends of the cell in anaphase. The line they form is called the equatorial, or metaphasic, plate. Metaphase ends when the centromeres divide, causing the chromatids to separate back into their original chromosomes. The next step in the cell cycle, the third stage of mitosis, is anaphase.
Learn about anaphase
