One of the stages of cell division - prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. Cell division is accomplished relatively quickly and cells spend most their time in the "interphase" stage of the cell cycle in which chromosomes are decondensed and typically referred to as chromatin or chromatin fibers. Such chromatin is difficult to see within the nucleus. In metaphase, the chromatin is condensed into chromosomes, which are easily observed with the light microscope.