2.2 Cell division

• Do all cells in multicellular organisms retain the ability to divide?

  No, not all cells retain the ability to divide.
• What is the cell cycle in eukaryotic cells that retain the ability to divide?

  The cell cycle includes stages such as interphase and mitosis.
• When does DNA replication occur in the cell cycle?

  During the interphase of the cell cycle.
• What is mitosis?

  Mitosis is the part of the cell cycle where a eukaryotic cell divides to produce two daughter cells with identical DNA copies.
• What happens to chromosomes during the stages of mitosis?

  Chromosomes behave differently during interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase.
• What is the role of spindle fibres during mitosis?

  Spindle fibres attached to centromeres help in the separation of chromatids.
• What is cytokinesis?

  Cytokinesis is the division of the cytoplasm, producing two new cells.
• What is the focus of section 3.4.3 in the study material?

  Meiosis is covered in section 3.4.3.
• What are the stages of the cell cycle that students should recognize?

  • Interphase
  • Prophase
  • Metaphase
  • Anaphase
  • Telophase (including cytokinesis)
• How should students explain the appearance of cells in each stage of mitosis?

  Students should be able to describe the distinct characteristics of cells in each stage of mitosis.
• Why is mitosis considered a controlled process?

  Mitosis is controlled to prevent uncontrolled cell division, which can lead to tumors and cancers.
• What is the focus of many cancer treatments?

  Many cancer treatments aim to control the rate of cell division.
• What does binary fission in prokaryotic cells involve?

  • Replication of circular DNA and plasmids
  • Division of the cytoplasm to produce two daughter cells
  • Each daughter cell has a single copy of circular DNA and a variable number of plasmids
• Do viruses undergo cell division?

  No, viruses do not undergo cell division.
• How do viruses replicate after injecting their nucleic acid into a host cell?

  The infected host cell replicates the virus particles.