In which phase of mitosis are two identical daughter cells produced?

During mitosis, the phase in which two identical daughter cells are produced is telophase. This is the final stage of mitosis, occurring after the chromosomes have been separated and moved to opposite poles of the cell during anaphase.

In telophase, the separated chromatids reach the poles, and the nuclear envelope begins to reform around each set of chromosomes, resulting in the formation of two distinct nuclei within the cell. This reestablishment of the nuclear membrane and the eventual division of the cytoplasm (which occurs through cytokinesis) leads to the creation of two identical daughter cells, each containing the same genetic material as the original cell.

The other options represent different phases of the cell cycle:

• Metaphase is characterized by the alignment of chromosomes at the cell's equatorial plane, but the cell does not yet divide.
• Prophase involves the condensation of chromatin into visible chromosomes and the preparation for alignment but does not lead to the formation of daughter cells.
• Interphase is the phase of the cell cycle where the cell prepares for division through growth and DNA replication but does not include the actual division process.

Understanding these phases helps clarify why telophase is specifically associated with the complete division of a cell into two