Basic Biology

• Cell


  The smallest living unit in all organisms
• Modern cell theory


  1. The cell is the smallest living unit in all organisms
  2. All living things are made of cells
  3. All cells come from other, pre-existing cells
• Unicellular


  A single-celled organism
• Multicellular


  Organisms made of many cells
• Types of cells


  • Prokaryotes
  • Eukaryotes
• Mitosis is a type of cell division done by most of your body cells and it's really important for your cells to divide
• If cells didn't divide, you wouldn't grow
• Mitosis


  The process that allows cells to grow and repair damage
• Mitosis is not the process that makes sperm or egg cells, that is called meiosis
• Mitosis


  Produces identical body cells
• Cells are not dividing all the time, they spend most of their time in interphase
• Cancer


  Uncontrolled cell growth, or uncontrolled mitosis
• Nucleus


  Organelle that holds the cell's DNA
• Chromosomes


  Condensed units of DNA and protein found in the nucleus
• Humans have 46 chromosomes in their body cell nuclei
• Mitosis


  1. Prophase

  2. Metaphase

  3. Anaphase

  4. Telophase
• Cytokinesis is responsible for the final separation into two cells by splitting the cytoplasm, completing the mitosis process
• Understanding mitosis is important for understanding growth, repair, and cancer