Mitosis

Mitosis

July 21, 2005

Summary

In the lab exercise related to Mitosis, we view various slides containing cells undergoing Mitosis. We viewed 2 different specimens; a slide of an onion root tip and a slide of Ascaris eggs. Some of the cells are at different phases of Mitosis (Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase). We viewed it under HPO and LPO. Chromosomes were visible in both the LPO and the HPO although the spindle fibers were not very visible because of limitations in the light microscope. The exercise was successful because we were able to see different cells at different phases of Mitosis. We were able to discover the differences between each reaction and why Mitosis is divided into different phases. We were also able to label some of the parts in the cells undergoing mitosis. Overall, we discovered a lot of new things about Mitosis.

Abbreviations

LPO- Low power objective

HPO- High power objective

Introduction

What if your cells don't reproduce or increase in number? What will eventually happen if your arm was wounded by a knife? If cells don't reproduce, how will your arm heal? All living organisms contain cells and in order for them to grow, survive, and eventually reproduce, the cells in their body should be able to multiply. The repair of the damaged parts of different organisms also requires the cells to increase in number in order to replace the damaged ones. The growth of the cells of many organisms generally has 3 main phases; cell division, cell enlargement, and cell differentiation. The types of cell division are usually Meiosis and Mitosis, in which the latter maintains the chromosome number of parent cells to daughter cells. Mitosis is generally divided into five stages; ...

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..., and thus, energy will not be sufficient to power all of the cells. On the other hand, if mitosis don't occur, cells would die out, and fail to transmit their genetic code, thus becoming like dinosaurs: extinct.

Conclusion

In general, there are four stages of Mitosis, each contributing for the next stage and equally important for mitosis to proceed. Interphase, which is the bulk of cell life, prepares the cell to undergo mitosis. Spindle fibers, which help the chromosomes separate are comes from microtubules. Also, plants and animals have different ways to divide the cytoplasm; cell plate formation and cleavage furrow. Mitosis has many stages, but the end result is 2 daughter cells, with the same chromosome number as the parent cell.

Bibiliography

Star, Cecie, and Ralph Taggart. Biology:The Unity and Diversity of Life. Tenth ed. CA: Quebecor,

2004.