What occurs during mitosis?

During mitosis, the primary event is the division of the cell nucleus after the chromosomes have been replicated. This process ensures that each daughter cell receives an identical set of chromosomes, maintaining genetic consistency across cells in the body. Mitosis is part of the cell cycle, specifically the M phase, which is crucial for growth, development, and tissue repair in multicellular organisms.

The stages of mitosis—prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase—reflect a highly coordinated series of events where chromosomes condense, align, separate, and eventually reach opposite poles of the cell. Each step is vital for the accurate distribution of genetic material. Following mitosis, cytokinesis occurs, which is the division of the cytoplasm and results in the formation of two distinct daughter cells.

In this context, the other options do not accurately describe the events of mitosis. Only DNA replication occurs during the S phase of interphase, preceding mitosis, while meiotic division refers specifically to the process that produces gametes and is not a feature of mitosis. Additionally, cytoplasmic division without nucleus division describes a different cellular process known as cytokinesis, which is not a defining characteristic of mitotic division itself.