Which statement correctly describes the relationship between telophase and cytokinesis?

• A. Telophase occurs after cytokinesis
• B. Cytokinesis and telophase are the same process
• C. Telophase leads into cytokinesis, which completes cell division
• D. They occur in different cells entirely

Answer: (C)

Telophase and cytokinesis are sequential steps that ensure a cell divides into two daughter cells. Telophase is the final stage of mitosis, where the chromosomes arrive at opposite poles, the nuclear envelope re-forms, and chromosomes begin to de-condense. Cytokinesis is the process that splits the cytoplasm, completing the division into two cells. Often, cytokinesis begins during late telophase and finishes after telophase, so the two processes work together to complete cell division. This makes the statement that telophase leads into cytokinesis, which completes cell division, the best description of their relationship. The other ideas—telophase after cytokinesis, them being the same process, or occurring in different cells—do not fit the actual sequence and distinct roles of these stages.