METAPHASE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does metaphase mean? 

• METAPHASE (noun)
  The noun METAPHASE has 2 senses:

1. the second stage of meiosis

2. the second stage of mitosis

  Familiarity information: METAPHASE used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• METAPHASE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The second stage of meiosis

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Hypernyms ("metaphase" is a kind of...):

phase of cell division (a stage in meiosis or mitosis)

Holonyms ("metaphase" is a part of...):

meiosis; miosis; reduction division ((genetics) cell division that produces reproductive cells in sexually reproducing organisms; the nucleus divides into four nuclei each containing half the chromosome number (leading to gametes in animals and spores in plants))

Sense 2

Meaning:

The second stage of mitosis

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Hypernyms ("metaphase" is a kind of...):

phase of cell division (a stage in meiosis or mitosis)

Holonyms ("metaphase" is a part of...):

mitosis (cell division in which the nucleus divides into nuclei containing the same number of chromosomes)

 Context examples 

Demecolcine acid binds to the colchicine-binding site of tubulin, inhibiting its polymerization into microtubules, causing cell cycle arrest at metaphase and preventing cell division.

(Demecolcine, NCI Thesaurus)

This protein plays a role in metaphase arrest.

(Cell Division Cycle Protein 20 Homolog, NCI Thesaurus)

Vinorelbine binds to tubulin and prevents formation of the mitotic spindle, resulting in cell cycle arrest in metaphase.

(Liposomal Vinorelbine, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes cell division cycle protein 20 homolog protein, is involved in spindle assembly checkpoint and metaphase arrest.

(CDC20 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

Analysis of chromosomes arrested during metaphase.

(Metaphase Spread, NCI Thesaurus)

A physical mapping approach that uses fluorescent tags to detect hybridization of probes within metaphase chromosomes or less condensed somatic interphase chromatin.

(Fluorescence in situ hybridization, NCI Thesaurus)

It allows the visualization of individual chromosomes in metaphase or interphase cells and the identification of both numerical and structural chromosomal aberrations with high sensitivity and specificity.

(Chromosome Painting, NCI Thesaurus)

CENP-E, a kinetochore-associated mitotic kinesin, plays an essential role in chromosome movement during mitosis and regulates cell-cycle transition from metaphase to anaphase.

(CENP-E Inhibitor GSK-923295, NCI Thesaurus)

In early mitosis, dramatic structural changes occur to produce metaphase chromosomes, each consisting of a pair of compacted sister chromatids (condensation).

(Mitotic Sister Chromatid Cohesion, NCI Thesaurus)

Staining of metaphase spreads for crossovers, inversions, and translocations.

(Chromosome Rearrangement Detection, NCI Thesaurus/OSP)