Chromosomes and Mitosis

Question 1

Whaŧ do chromosomes contain?

Answer 1

They contain genetic information

Question 2

What are chromosomes?

Answer 2

Chromosomes are coiled up lengths of DNA molecules

Question 3

How many copies of each chromosome do the body cells normally have?

Answer 3

The body cells normally have two copies of each chromosome

Question 4

What is the cell cycle?

Answer 4

Where the body cells in multicellular organisms divide to produce new cells as part of a series stage

Question 5

What is the stage of the cell cycle when the cell divides called?

Answer 5

Mitosis

Question 6

Growth and DNA Replication:

1) In a cell that’s not dividing, what does the DNA do?
2) Before it divides, what does the cell need to do?
3) What does it mean when the DNA duplicates?

Answer 6

1) The DNA is all spread out in long strings
2) The cell has to grow an increase in the number of subcellular structures
3) There’s one copy for each new cell

Question 7

Mitosis: once its contents and DNA have been copied, the cell is ready for mitosis…
1) What do the chromosomes do in the centre of the cell?
What do the two arms of the chromosomes do?
2) What forms around each set of chromosomes?
What do they become?
3) What two other things divide?
What has the cell produced? And what do they do?

Answer 7

1) They line up at the centre of the cell and cell fibres pull them apart
The two arms of the chromosomes go to opposite ends of the cell?
2) Membranes
They become the nuclei of the two new cells - nucleus has divided
3) The cytoplasm and cell membrane divide
The cell has produced two new daughter cells. They contain exactly the same DNA - they’re identical. Their DNA is also identical to the parent cell