In which phase do sister chromatids move towards opposite poles of the cell?

The phase in which sister chromatids move towards opposite poles of the cell is known as Anaphase. During Anaphase, the cohesin proteins that hold the sister chromatids together are cleaved, allowing them to separate. Once separated, each sister chromatid is pulled to opposite sides of the cell by the mitotic spindle fibers. This movement is crucial for ensuring that each daughter cell will receive an identical set of chromosomes during cell division.

In other phases, such as Prophase, the chromosomes condense and become visible, while the nuclear envelope begins breaking down, but the chromatids do not move. Metaphase is characterized by the alignment of the chromosomes at the cell's equatorial plane, where they are lined up but not yet separated. Telophase occurs after Anaphase, where the chromosomes begin to decondense, and the nuclear envelopes reform around each set of chromosomes, completing the separation process.