Confocal micrograph showing a dividing cancer cell (HeLa) in time-lapse. Cellular structures have been visualised in cyan (cell membrane) and red (DNA). The spiral arrangement captures the journey of a cell as it divides and creates new cells. HeLa cells undergo cell division approximately once every 16 hours. The cell spends a substantial portion of this time preparing itself for division during interphase, and the actual process by which the cell physically divides takes approximately an hour. The cell in the center of the image has completed prophase and pro-metaphase by rounding and aligning its duplicated DNA in the center (metaphase). It is now ready to pull the identical copies of DNA to opposing ends of the cell (anaphase, approximately eight minutes). This is followed by cytokinesis (approximately 15-20 minutes), when the cell contraction in the middle and physically separates into two daughter cells. Wellcome Image Award 2012.