Cell Division and Inheritance
 "All cells come from cells" (Virchow 1858). Now, as you have begun your journey into the amazing world of cells, you have probably realized that these structures are quite complex. Cells have the ability to divide and thereby pass on their characteristics through time and space. In this chapter we will study three types of cell division (binary fission, mitosis and meiosis). Binary fission (in bacteria) and mitosis (in eukaryotes) are processes which ensure that each daughter cell is an exact copy of the mother cell. Meiosis is a process which is involved in sexual reproduction. It allows cells to "shuffle" their traits and produce genetic variation. Almost all eukaryotic organisms on the planet have the ability to reproduce with the help of meiosis. Its omnipresence is an attribute to the important role genetic variation has in the evolutionary play. We will connect these ideas at the end of the semester.
     The chapter also takes a closer look at chromosomal structure and the changes that can occur during meiosis.		 Cell Division - Notice the mitotic spindle as well as the condensed chromosomes. Which phase of mitosis are you looking at?
  1. Be able to contrast organisms that reproduce sexually and asexually.
  2. What does Virchow refer to with this statement: "All cells come from cells". Role of cell division.
  3. Explain the process of binary fission in prokaryotic cells.
  4. Describe the structure of chromosomes.
  5. What is the difference between chromatin, chromatids, chromosomes, and centromeres.
  6.  What is the cell cycle? What are the different events of the cell cycle?
  7. Differentiate between events that occur during interphase (in G1, S and G2) versus the mitotic phase (mitosis and cytokinesis).Mitosis in a Plant Cell
  8. Be able to recognize cells in interphase as well as The Stages of Mitosis (prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase).
  9. Explain the events which occur during each phase of mitosis. Another overview can be found at The Stages of Mitosis in a Plant Cell.
  10. How is cytokinesis different in an animal cell compared to a plant cell?
  11. What is the importance of growth factors, anchorage dependence as well as density independent inhibition during cell division?
  12. How is the cell cycle controlled? What is a checkpoint? Why are they important? Can you give an example of a checkpoint in the cell cycle?
  13. What is the relationship between controlled cell growth and cancer? How is a cancer cell different compared to a normal cell?
  14. Summarize: What is the overall role of mitosis? How are the cells produced from mitosis different from the "mother cell" it originated from?
Can You Distinguish Between the Different Phases of Mitosis in Onion Root Cells?
  1. Differentiate between autosomes and sex chromosomes. 
  2. Define homologous chromosomes. 
  3. How many pairs of homologous chromosomes can you find in a human somatic cell? 
  4. Do all animals have the same number of chromosomes?
  5. Distinguish between the following terms: diploid vs haploid, gametes, fertilization and zygote.
  6. Meiosis! Explain the process of meiosis. What are the events that occur during each phase. 
  7. How does the chromosome number change in these cells as the process continues? How is that accomplished?
  8. Compare and contrast mitosis and meiosis. Compare the daughter cells of mitosis with the original cell. Compare the daughter cells of meiosis with the original cell.
  9. What is independent assortment? When does it occur during meiosis? 
  10. What is the role of random fertilization?
  11. Can homologous chromosomes carry different version of genes? How is that possible? 
  12. What is an allele?
  13. Explain the events of crossing over. Define chiasma. 
  14. What is the result of crossing over? 
  15. How is crossing over related to the concept of genetic recombination? 
  16. Why is crossing over an important process?
Meiosis
Before you continue:
A. Review Meiosis
B. Self Test on Meiosis
  1. Define karyotype. What does a karyotype represent? How to make a karyotype...
  2. What is a trisomy? Give an example of trisomy.
  3. Explain how trisomy 21 is linked to the maternal age. How does a person with trisomy 21 differ from a "normal" person?
  4. Explain the effects of nondisjunction.
  5. Discuss the effects of an abnormal number of sex chromosomes (especially Klinefelter syndrome as well as Turner syndrome).
  6. Give examples of chromosomal abnormalities: deletions, duplications, inversions and translocations. How do they differ from each other?
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Updated: March 12,  2010