during which three phases are individual chromosomes no longer visible?
Individual chromosomes are no longer visible during telophase , cytokinesis , and interphase , because the DNA relaxes back into a diffuse chromatin form that cannot be distinguished as separate chromosomes under a light microscope.
Key idea
When a cell is not actively in the middle of mitosis, its DNA is in a less- condensed, threadlike chromatin state. In this state, individual chromosomes blur together and cannot be seen as distinct X-shaped structures.
The three phases
- Telophase
- Chromosomes that were clearly visible in anaphase begin to decondense at each pole of the cell.
* As they unwind, they lose their distinct shape and merge into a more uniform nuclear mass, so separate chromosomes are no longer visible.
- Cytokinesis
- During the physical splitting of the cytoplasm, the genetic material in each new daughter cell continues decondensing.
* By the end of cytokinesis, chromosomes have typically relaxed enough that they cannot be identified individually under a light microscope.
- Interphase (G1, S, G2)
- This is the ānormal lifeā of the cell, when DNA is being used for everyday functions (and copied during S phase).
* Throughout interphase, DNA remains as diffuse chromatin in the nucleus, so no distinct individual chromosomes can be seen.
TL;DR: Individual chromosomes disappear from view once the cell passes anaphase and enter telophase , cytokinesis , and then interphase , because the DNA decondenses into chromatin.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.
