Mitosis

Mitosis occurs in different phases.  There is a beginning stage of it where the cell is at rest, and does not change its' nucleus in any way.  This is also known as interphase.  But then, the cell enters a phase called prophase.  Pro, meaning beginning or before, is the first actual phase of mitosis.  In prophase, the cells chromosomes begin to shorten and thicken and start to begin to segregate.
     Then in the metaphase, the spindles inside the cell begin to separate and align inside the middle of the cell.  Then, anaphase kicks in.  This is when the spindles have each separated evenly to one side of the cell and begin to split it in two.  Then in Telophase, the cell is pretty much completely split in two, and the cytoplasm of the once one complete cell, has been divided by a not yet complete new cell wall.  Then the wall forms and it has been divided into 2 daughter cells.

     In a lab that me and a few class mates recently participated in, we examined the number of cells that were in interphase, anaphase, prophase, metaphase, telophase within a certain view through a microscope.  Out of around 250 cells that were in view, 46% of them were in prophase, and 47% of them were in interphase.  Those 2 phases were pretty much the majority.  Then 2% or so was the amount for telo, meta, and anaphases.  This kinda gives you an idea of how long each phase takes compared to the other.  The phases that have the most being seen must take longer to complete thats why you see so many of them.  The smaller percentage is less time taken to complete the process so then you don't see so many of them.