Animation example
Mitosis 3D animation
An animal cell with six replicated chromosomes divides into two daughter cells. A 10-second film made in Animiotics.
What the animation shows
Mitosis divides one nucleus into two identical ones. Before it starts, every chromosome has been copied, so each one is a pair of sister chromatids held together at the centromere.
- Prophase: chromosomes condense and the spindle starts to form.
- Prometaphase: the nuclear envelope breaks down and spindle microtubules attach to kinetochores on each chromosome.
- Metaphase: chromosomes line up at the middle of the cell.
- Anaphase: sister chromatids separate and are pulled to opposite poles.
- Telophase: new nuclear envelopes form around each set of chromosomes.
- Cytokinesis: a ring of actin and myosin pinches the cell in two.
What is illustrative
The cell has six chromosomes for clarity; human cells have 46. Structures and timing are not to scale: real mitosis takes around an hour in many human cells.
Make your own version
Open this film as a starter and customize it, or describe a new animation. A few variations to try:
- Animate mitosis phase by phase with a pause and a label at each phase.
- Show a spindle checkpoint holding a cell in metaphase until every kinetochore is attached.
- Compare mitosis and meiosis side by side, ending with two and four daughter cells.
Questions
Can I add labels for each phase?
Yes. Ask for labels in your description or add 3D text in the editor, and adjust the timing so each phase holds long enough to read.
Can students explore it in 3D?
Yes. Share a link and students can turn the scene around in their browser without an account.
Keep reading
Describe it. Watch it move.
Start your first animation from a description, a structure or a photo.