ZOOLOGY 100 PreLab Notes

MITOSIS
Mitosis: nuclear division (division of the chromosomes)
Cytokinesis: division of the cytoplasm
Cell division: division of the cell (includes both nuclear division and division of the cytoplasm)
Cell life cycle: from the time the cell is first formed until it divides again
Interphase: Time when the cell is not dividing, but carrying out other functions.
G1: Growth phase: cell enlarges, organelles double in number; cells w/c do not divide stay in
this stage for their entire life span
S: Synthesis of DNA – cell duplicates it’s genetic material in preparation for mitosis
G2: Final preparation for mitosis, division of centrioles; amount of cytoplasm and organelles
increase in preparation for mitosis
Prophase: mitotic spindle begins to form, chromosomes condense (become visible)
Metaphase: chromosomes align along the equator of the cell
Anaphase: chromosomes split and sister chromatids (now chromosomes) move to opposite poles
Telophase: chromosomes are at the ends of the cell, cleavage furrow is visible
Cleavage Furrow (animals) or Cell Plate (plants): indicates cytokenesis, cell membrane begins
to pinch inward
Contractile ring: formed by microtubules which contract at the middle of the cell splitting them in
two.
Daughter cells: Two newly formed cells, genetically identical

The cell cycle

The cell cycles in different cells
Cell type Cell cycle / hours
Bean root tip 19.3
Mouse fibroblast 22
Chinese hamster fibroblast 11
Mouse small intestine epithelium 17
Mouse oesophagus epithelium 181

Mitosis process of forming (generally) identical daughter cells by replicating and dividing the
original chromosomes, in effect making a cellular xerox.
- deals only with the segregation of the chromosomes and organelles into daughter cells.

Structure of a eukaryotic chromosome (condensed chromatin = DNA + histone protein)

• DNA "packaged" in the form of Chromosomes

• Chromosomes are composed of
Chromatin
• Made of DNA Strands
• Also contain Histones - Proteins the DNA
is wrapped around
• Eukaryotes have more than 1 chromosome
(humans have 23 pairs)
Structure and main features of a spindle apparatus (microtubules that pull the chromosomes
into each cell)

The microtubules have the 9+2 arrangement.

- Animal cells (except for a group of worms known as nematodes) have a centriole.
- Plants and most other eukaryotic organisms lack centrioles.
- Prokaryotes, of course, lack spindles and centrioles; the cell membrane assumes this
function when it pulls the by-then replicated chromosomes apart during binary fission.
Cells that contain centrioles also have a series of smaller microtubules, the aster, that extend
from the centrioles to the cell membrane; serve as a brace for the functioning of the spindle fibers.
Interphase Cell Replicates its DNA/Chromosomes in
preparation of upcoming division

Prophase 1. Chromosomes Shorten and

become visible.Nuclear envelope
disappears
2. Centrioles begin to migrate to
opposite poles of the cell
3. Spindle & Astral Fibers begin
to form
Metaphase 1. Chromosomes line up along center
of cell along the Metaphase
Plate
2. Chromosomes attach to spindle
fibers
3. Spindle and astral fibers now
clearly visible.

Anaphase 1. Centromeres break up separating

chromosome copies Chromosomes
are pulled apart to opposite sides
of cell
2. Spindle & astral fibers begin to
break down
Telophase 1. Nuclear envelope forms around
both sets of chromosomes
2. DNA uncoils
3. Spindle & astral fibers completely
disappear

Cytokenesis 1. Happens with most (but not all)

cells.
2. Cytoplasm & organelles move
(mostly equally) to either side of
the cell.
3. Cell Membrane "pinches" to form
2 separate cells