How many chromosomes are present during prophase metaphase and telophase?

Answer 1

In prophase, there are 46 condensed chromosome pairs. The chromosomes replicated during S phase (Doubling the original 23 pairs) and now appear as two sister chromatids connected via the centromere. During metaphase, the kinetochores of the chromatids attach to the spindle fibers and the chromosomes have now moved into position along the metaphase plate (an imaginary division) and are roughly central in the cell. During anaphase the spindles begin pulling the chromatids apart from one another and telophase begins. During telophase, the nuclear envelopes of the cells to be forms. At this point it's a tad murky as the chromosomes are clearly separated but the cell has not yet made a complete divide. The division completes during cytokinesis beginning with the formation of a cleavage furrow will separate the cytoplasm and eventually yields two daughter cells. At this point the cell will have 23 chromosome pairs.

The above is only true if we are talking about a somatic cell. If we are talking about a sex cell i.e a sperm or an egg then after the first meiotic division, there will be another one that follows the same processes as the first, only this time without the luxury of having undergone the replication during S phase and as such once cytokinesis finishes there will only be 23 single chromosomes in the given sex cell.

Answer 2

When the chromosomes duplicate themselves, each duplicate chromosome exists as a pair of sister chromatids. There are 46 pairs of sister chromatids, which means there are a total of 92 individual chromatids (chromosomes) in metaphase. During metaphase the 46 pairs of sister chromatids line up along the cell's equatorial plane and in telophase, one sister of each chromatid pair separates into two separate daughter cells. Now each cell will have 23 pairs of chromosomes, for a total of 46.