prophase

Eduard Adolf Strasburger(1844-1912)

Term: prophase  

Literally meaning: “before the  appearance”

Origin: Anc Greek

προ/pro(=prefix denoting before, first)

φάσις/phasis(=stage) > φάσκω/phasko(=imperfect tense of verb “φημί”/phemi=appear, show, manifest, aver)

Coined/History

In 1884 the famous German botanist, Eduard Strasburger (1844- 1912) coined the terms prophase, metaphase, and anaphase for the different stages of cell division. He used the term metaphase in order to define the stage of nulear division after the chromosomes have divided into chromatids although about 1905 he realized that the chromosomes are already double when nuclear division begins.

 Definition

Prophase is the first stage of mitosis and meiosis (following interphase and preceding metaphase) of eucaryotic cells in which the chromatin condenses into chromosome in which the chromatin becomes visible and nuclear envelope starts to break down.