telofoasi

Telofoasi, commonly referred to as telophase in English, is the final stage of mitosis (and of meiosis II in some descriptions) in cell division. During telofoasi, the chromosomes that have been pulled to opposite poles begin to de-condense, returning to their thread-like form. A nuclear envelope re-forms around each set of chromosomes, and the nucleolus reappears within the newly formed nuclei. The spindle apparatus disassembles as its job is completed.

Telophase is usually followed by cytokinesis, the process that divides the cytoplasm and completes cell division. In many organisms cytokinesis occurs concurrently with telofoasi, so the two daughter cells separate as telophase progresses.

There are differences in how telofoasi manifests in different cell types. In animal cells, a contractile actin ring forms a contractile ring that creates a cleavage furrow, pinching the plasma membrane inward to split the cell. In plant cells, vesicles derived from the Golgi coalesce at the center to form a cell plate, which develops into separating cell walls that eventually partition the two daughter cells.

Etymology of the term reflects its meaning: from Greek telos (“end” or “completion”) and phasis (“appearance” or “phase”). Telofoasi marks the end of chromosome segregation and the beginning of the reorganization of the daughter nuclei, setting the stage for the fully separated cells to emerge.