6 - Cell Division Flashcards
How many pairs of chromosomes does a normal human have?
23
What does a gene do?
Code for a characteristic
For what 3 reasons does mitosis occur?
Growth, repair and asexual reproduction
What occurs during the G1 phase of the cell cycle?
- Proteins are synthesised 2. ATP is produced 3. Key organelles (including centrioles) grow larger, then duplicate
What is the G1 checkpoint known as in animals?
The restriction point
What is the G1 checkpoint known as in yeast?
START
Why is the G1 checkpoint important?
The cell must be checked to make sure that it is ready for division, as once the chromosomes are duplicated the process cannot be reversed
What factors are checked at the G1 checkpoint?
- Nutrients- are the necessary nutrients present in the cell and its environment 2. Size- is the cell large enough for division? 3. Molecular signals- Is the cell receiving positive cues (i.e. growth factors) from its neighbours? 4. Mechanical signals- Is the cell attached to a support/crowded by neighbours 5. DNA integrity- is any DNA damaged?
What happens if the cell is rejected at the G1 checkpoint?
It passes into a resting state called G0
What are some reasons for passing into G0?
Cell age/senescence, damage, lack of need for them to reproduce
Is G0 temporary or permanent?
It can be both
Which cells spend all of their existence in G0?
Neurons, although many cells spend much of their life in G0 performing functions
What else, apart from carrying out functions, can occur in G0?
Cell death
What happens if a cell passes the G1 checkpoint?
It passes into the S phase
What occurs during the S phase?
Each chromosome is duplicated in the nucleus
Which stages of the cell cycle make up interphase?
G1, S and G2
What occurs during the G2 phase of cell division?
The duplicated chromosomes are checked for damage, and repaired/replaced if possible and necessary
What is checked at the G2 checkpoint?
Cell size, DNA condition (integrity, i.e. is any damaged?, and replication, i.e. is it fully replicated?)
What happens if a problem is detected at the G2 checkpoint?
The cell will pause at the checkpoint to undergo repairs
What happens if any problem is fixed at the G2 checkpoint?
The cell re-enters the cell cycle, and proceeds with division as normal
What happens if damage found at the G2 checkpoint is irreparable, and why is this important?
The cell may undergo apoptosis, which is important in preventing cancer by stopping errors being passed to daughter cells
What is apoptosis?
Programmed cell death
What happens if a cell passes the G2 checkpoint without any problems?
It proceeds to mitosis
How many chromatids is a chromosome made up of?
Either 1, or two genetically identical ones
What is a chromatid?
A strand of DNA
How many chromatids does each chromosome have during G1?
1 chromatid
How many chromatids does each chromosome have from S phase to the beginning of mitosis?
2
How do chromosomes condense?
The DNA (in the form of chromatin fibres) is supercoiled around histone proteins
What are the 4 stages of Mitosis?
Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase
What is a chromosome?
A strip of tighlly coiled DNA
What 6 things occur during Prophase in mitosis?
- Chromatin fibres begin to coil and condense to form chromosomes. 2. Nucleolus disappears 3. Nuclear envelope begins to break down, and fully disappears by the end of Prophase 4. Microtubules begin to form spindle fibres linking the poles of the cell 5. Centrioles migrate to opposite poles of the cell 6. Spindle fibres attach to centromeres, begin to move chromosomes to cell centre
What is a centromere?
The point on a chromosome onto which a spindle fibre attaches
What occurs in Metaphase in mitosis?
Chromosomes are moved by the spindle fibres to form a plane in the cell’s centre, called the Metaphase Plate, and are then held in position
What occurs in Anaphase in mitosis?
Centromeres holding pairs of chromatids together in chromosomes divide. Sister chromosomes separated and pulled to opposite poles of the cell by shortening spindle fibres
What shape do chromatids tend to be in during Anaphase?
A ‘v’ shape because of them being pulled by the spindle fibres
What occurs during telophase during mitosis?
Chromatids, which have now reached the poles of the cell, are referred to as chromatids. Each new set of chromosomes assembles at its respective pole, nuclear envelope and nucleolus reform. Chromosomes start to uncoil.
When does cytokinesis start in both animals and plants?
During telophase
How does cytokinesis occur in animals?
The cytoskeleton pulls the cell surface membrane inwards, causing it to invaginate (pinch in). This causes a cleavage furrow to form, until the cell surface membrane pinches off and two new cells are formed
What is the difference between cytokinesis in plants and animals?
In plants, it begins from the middle of the cell, as opposed to the outside as it does in animals
How does cytokinesis occur in plant cells?
Vesicles from the Golgi Apparatus line up in the same position as the metaphase plate, then fuse with each other and the cell surface membrane to form a new cell surface membrane in the middle of the cell called the cell plate. The cell plate then has new cellulose deposited along it.
Why can’t a new cell wall be formed along the cell plate during cytokinesis in plants before the separation of the two daughter cells?
Because otherwise the new cells would undergo immediate osmotic lysis
What is osmotic lysis?
When a cell membrane bursts (and so, essentially, does the cell) due to the movement of water into the cell via osmosis
What do homologous chromosomes have the same of?
They have the same gene loci, so they have genes which code for the same thing. They also have the same length
What happens to homologous chromosomes before cell division?
They are copied
What is a bivalent?
Where pairs of homologous chromosomes attach to each other at points called chaisma (singular) or chaismata (plural)
What occurs during Prophase 1 of meiosis?
- Chromosomes condense 2. Homologous chromosomes pair up to form bivalents (resulting in crossing over of chromatids) 3. Nuclear envelope disintegrates 4. Centrioles migrate to poles of cell 5. Spindle fibres begin to form
What is independent assortment?
Where pairs of homologous chromosomes line up with random alignments along the metaphase plate during metaphase in meiosis
What occurs during Metaphase 1 during meiosis?
- Homologous pairs assemble along metaphase plate with random orientations (independent assortment) 2. Spindle fibres from each centriole attach to centromeres
What occurs during Anaphase 1 during meiosis?
- Homologous chromosomes pulled to opposite poles of cell by spindle fibres, sister chromatids stay attached. 2. Sections of DNA entangled during crossing over break off and rejoin, with recombinant chromatids being formed by this exchange of genes
What is a recombinant chromatid?
One with a different genetic makeup to either the father or the mother’s chromatid due to sections of DNA entangled during crossing over being exchanged.
What occurs during Telophase 1 during meiosis?
- Chromsomes assemble at the pole of each cell and uncoil 2. Nuclear envelope reforms 3. Centrioles move back into cytosol 4. Cell surface membrane invaginates and pinches off to form 2 daughter cells, each with the same amount of genetic information as the parent cell
What happens during Prophase 2 during meiosis?
- Chromosomes condense and become visible again 2. Nuclear envelope disintegrates 3. Centrioles migrate to poles of cell, spindle fibres begin to form
What happens during Metaphase 2 in meiosis?
“1. Individual chromosomes line up along metaphase plate, again with independent assortment 2. Spindle fibres attach to centromeres “
What happens during Anaphase 2 in meiosis?
Chromatids of individual chromosomes pulled to poles of cell by shortening spindle fibres after division of centromeres
What happens during Telophase 2 in meiosis?
- Chromosomes assemble at poles, then uncoil and form chromatin again 2. Nuclear envelope reforms 3. Each cell’s cell surface membrane invaginates and pinches off to form two new daughter cells, each with half the genetic information of the original parent cell
Why is mitosis used in repair?
Old and damaged cells can be replaced by new, identical ones