How do animals, plants, and fungi vary in terms of where in the life cycle mitotic divisions (to create a multicellular body) take place? Solution In animals and plants mitosis occurs during cellular growth phase. The cells increase in number or proliferate through mitosis. In fungi, mitosis is the asexual reproduction through which daughter fungal cells are formed. Therefore, mitosis in animals and plants takes place during growth stage and in fungi, mitosis takes place during reproduction stage. The mitosis is carried out in four stages known as prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. Prophase: The nucleolus is disappeared and the nuclear envelop is fragmented. The spindle fibers attached to the chromosomes at the centromere. The chromosomes are pulled to the poles. Metaphase: During this phase the chromosomes are arranged at spindle equator that is the midpoint between the spindle poles. The spindle fibers extend up to opposite poles and the unattached spindle fibers overlap behind the equator. Anaphase: During this phase, the sister chromatids separate apart to become the daughter chromosomes. The attached spindle fibers disassembled and at each pole a daughter chromosome is formed. The spindle fibers move apart so that the separation of chromosomes occurs. Telophase: During this phase, the spindle fibers disappear and the nuclear envelop is formed around each daughter chromosome. Each nucleus consists of same number and type of chromosomes similar to the parent cell. Cytokinesis: After the division of nucleus the division of cytoplasm takes place and the daughter cells are completely apart from the parent cell. In some cases the division of cytoplasm does not take place and only mitosis is continued resulting in a multinucleated cell..