Nicky the Nucleus and The Great Shuffle!
Before the Story Begins…
Every cell in your body has an important job—but none of that matters if it can’t make more of itself. That’s where mitosis comes in. Mitosis is the cell’s way of making a perfect copy—like hitting “duplicate” so your body can grow, heal cuts, and replace old or damaged cells.
It’s a careful, step-by-step process where the cell organizes its DNA, lines everything up, and divides into two identical daughter cells. In The Great Shuffle, we zoom inside the cell to watch how this amazing process unfolds—simple, organized, and always with a purpose.
Stage 1: Prophase
The Chromosomes curled into neat X-shapes, ready for the big event.
Nicky’s Nuclear Membrane faded away so everyone could move freely.
Stage 2: Metaphase – The Lineup
Cindy the Centrosome and her Spindle Fibers formed long ropes across the city.
“Middle, everyone!” she called.
The Chromosomes lined up perfectly down the center.
Stage 3: Anaphase – The Tug-of-War
With one strong pull, the Spindle Fibers tugged each X apart.
Half of each Chromosome zipped to opposite sides—one full set for each future cell.
Stage 4: Telophase – The Big Build
New Nuclear Membranes formed around each set of Chromosomes.
Two new nuclei appeared—just about ready to become separate cells.
The Grand Finale: Cytokinesis!
The Cell Membrane pinched inward… tighter… tighter…
SQUEEZE—POP!
One cell became two identical cells.
The Organelles celebrated. Nicky smiled. “Great job, team! This is how life keeps going.”
Suddenly, one big cell had become two smaller, identical cells!
The Organelles cheered. They had done it! Mitosis was complete!
Nicky the Nucleus smiled. “Great work, everyone! Now, each of these new cells will grow, and when they’re ready, they’ll split too! That’s how life keeps going!”
And so, the two brand-new cells got to work, keeping Celltopia running smoothly… until it was time for mitosis to happen all over again!
