Which statement describes telophase?

• A. The chromosomes decondense and the spindle forms
• B. The spindle breaks down while the cell grows
• C. The chromosomes line up at the center of the cell
• D. The chromosomes become longer, thinner, and less distinct; the nuclear membrane forms; the nucleolus reappears; cell division is nearly complete

Answer: (D)

In telophase, the cell is finishing mitosis and getting ready to complete division. The chromosomes that were pulled to opposite poles start to de-condense, becoming longer, thinner, and less distinct. The nuclear membrane reforms around each group of chromosomes, and the nucleolus reappears within each new nucleus, signaling that transcription can resume in these daughter nuclei. The spindle apparatus breaks down as the process moves toward cytokinesis, so the cell division is nearly complete.

Other descriptions fit earlier stages or different events. For example, the chromosome alignment at the center happens in metaphase, not telophase. Telophase emphasizes the return to two separate, distinct nuclei and the winding down of the spindle, rather than the chromosomes lining up or the spindle forming.