Key morphological features of normal mitotic figures
| Mitotic phase | Key morphological features |
| Prophase/prometaphase | Hyperchromatic condensed chromatin, absence of nuclear membrane and hairy extension of nuclear material which appears as thick condensed, clotted or clumped strands of chromosomes |
| Metaphase | Perpendicular rod in the centre of the cell; or ring-like in ring metaphase |
| Anaphase | Two parallel condensed, clumps in the same cell |
| Telophase | Separate identical chromosome sets surrounded by cytoplasm and separated by a newly formed cell membrane |