Mitosis/Meiosis

• Asexual Reproduction


  Reproduction that doesn't require the sharing of genetic information or change in the number of chromosomes.
• Sexual Reproduction


  Reproduction that involves the combination of chromosomes from two gametes to create a genetically unique zygote.
• Interphase


  The phase of the cell cycle where a cell grows, replicates its DNA and prepares for mitosis.
• Cytokenesis


  The division at the end of mitosis or meiosis that completly separates one cell into two.
• Mitosis


  Cell devision that results in two identical daughter cells with the same number of chromosomes as the parent cells.
• Meiosis


  Cell division that produces 4 genetically unique daughter cells. Chromosomes are halved.
• Binary Fission


  A type of asexual reproduction, which separates a parent cell into two daughter cells.
• Somatic Cell


  Body cells
• Gamete


  Called an egg in women and sperm in men; a cell that can unite with the opposite sex's cell to form a zygote.
• Chromatid


  One half of a duplicated chromosome.
• Chromosome


  A thread-like structure that holds the genetic information of an organism.
• Centromere


  The place on a chromosome where spindle fibers attatch during cell division.
• Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase


  The four main stages of mitosis.
• Haploid


  An organism with only half of its genetic information.
• Diploid


  A cell that contains two complete chromosome sets.
• Zygote


  A diploid cell resulting from the combination of two haploid cells, or gametes.
• Cell Cycle


  A series of events that take place as a cell grows and divides.
• Crossing Over


  The process in which two homogulous chromosomes pair up and exchange different genetic information.
• Homologous


  Having the same relation or structure.
• Spore


  A cell that certain plants and fungi create.
• The main functions of mitosis are development/growth, cell replacement, and asexual reproduction.
• An example of mitosis is the healing of a scrape or cut.
• The main function of meiosis is to produce egg and sperm cells for sexual reproduction.
• An example of meiosis is the production of gametes in humans.
• Asexual reproduction creates identical copies of a cell, and sexual reproduction takes genetic information from each parent cell and combines it to create a unique cell.
• Haploid cells only have one set of chromosomes, and they are created through the process of meiosis.
• Diploids have two sets of chromosomes, and they are created through mitosis.
• There are 4 main stages of mitosis: Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, and Telophase.
• Prophase is the stage where chromatin is turned into chromosomes, the nuclear envelope breaks, and chromosomes are attached to spindle fibers.
• Metaphase is the stage where chromosomes line up near the center of the cell.
• Anaphase is the stage where sister chromatids are pulled apart to opposite ends of the cell.
• Telophase is the stage where the nuclear envelope reforms, chromosomes unfold into chromatin, and cytokinesis can start.
• Cytokinesis is the process that divides the cell into two daughter cells.
• Meiosis creates genetic diversity because each cell that comes out of meiosis is genetically unique, unlike mitosis, where each cell is genetically identical.
• At the end of mitosis, two identical daughter cells are created.
• At the end of meiosis, four haploid cells are created.
• Crossing over results in a greater variety of possible gene combinations because each gamete contains a different set of DNA after crossing over occurs.
• If a dog’s sperm cell has 15 chromosomes, the zygote will have 30 chromosomes because a zygote is a combination of a sperm and an egg cell.
• In our onion lab, we placed onions in various substances to observe how their roots would grow.
• The purpose of the lab was to observe how the process of mitosis would be affected by different substances.