(biology) The stage of mitosis and meiosis that follows prophase and comes before anaphase, during which condensed chromosomes become aligned before being separated.
Used in a Sentence
metaphase
Definition, parts of speech, synonyms, and sentence examples for metaphase.
Editorial note
If you wanted to find new anti-cancer drugs, you might look for drugs which cause proliferating cells to get stuck in the metaphase step of the cell cycle (as paclitaxel does).
Examples2
Definitions1
Parts of speech1
Quick take
(biology) The stage of mitosis and meiosis that follows prophase and comes before anaphase, during which condensed chromosomes become aligned before being separated.
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of metaphase gathered in one view.
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for metaphase.
noun
(biology) The stage of mitosis and meiosis that follows prophase and comes before anaphase, during which condensed chromosomes become aligned before being separated.
Example sentences
If you wanted to find new anti-cancer drugs, you might look for drugs which cause proliferating cells to get stuck in the metaphase step of the cell cycle (as paclitaxel does).
You would plate out some rapidly proliferating cells, add your test chemical, wait twelve hours, then fix them, stain them with a DNA-specific dye, and use a microscope to count the number of cells in metaphase (which is quite distinctive [2]).
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use metaphase in a sentence?
If you wanted to find new anti-cancer drugs, you might look for drugs which cause proliferating cells to get stuck in the metaphase step of the cell cycle (as paclitaxel does).
What does metaphase mean?
(biology) The stage of mitosis and meiosis that follows prophase and comes before anaphase, during which condensed chromosomes become aligned before being separated.
What part of speech is metaphase?
metaphase is commonly used as noun.