The spindles degenerate during what stage?

During telophase, the spindles degenerate as the cell undergoes the final stages of mitosis. This stage follows anaphase, where the sister chromatids are pulled apart to opposite poles of the cell. As the chromatids reach the poles and the cell prepares to divide, the spindle fibers, which were essential for the separation of chromosomes, begin to break down.

Telophase is characterized by the reformation of the nuclear envelope around each set of chromosomes, which begins to de-condense back into chromatin. The degeneration of the spindles is crucial here as it signifies that the process of moving the chromosomes is complete and that the cell is gearing up for cytokinesis, the final separation into two daughter cells.

Understanding this stage is important in the context of cell division, as it highlights the transitions involved from a structured process of chromosome alignment to the distinct separation of cellular components that leads to two genetically identical daughter cells.