Mitosis Flashcards
What are the phases in the cell cycle?
Interphase : G1 phase, S phase, G2 phase
M phase : mitosis and cytokinesis
What happens in G1 phase ?
- Cell synthesises organelles such as mitochondria and ribosomes
- builds up large store of energy
- manufacture proteins such as histones, ribosomal proteins and tubulin (a subunit of spindle fibres)
What happens in S phase?
- DNA replication / synthesis occurs
- a microtubule-organising structure (centrosome) is duplicated
What happens in G2 phase?
- cells continues to store energy and manufacture proteins and organelles
- only cells with right conditions can proceed to the M phase to ensure that damaged or incomplete DNA is not passed on to daughter cells
What are centrosomes?
Non-membranous organelles found in both plant and animal cells
- in animal cells : each centrosome is composed of 2 centrioles positioned perpendicular to each other
They function as the microtubule organising center (MTOC) to organise the cell’s microtubule throughout the cell cycle
What are centrioles ?
Microtubule-based cylinders of defined length and diameter, found in animal cells but absent in plant cells
Each centriole is composed of 9 triplets of microtubules
What are spindle fibres?
Long hollow tubes about 24-25nm in diameter
Made up of tubulin (protein subunit)
Formed from microtubules extending from the centrioles at the beginning of nuclear division
What are kinetochore microtubules?
Spindle fibres which attach to the kinetochore of the chromosome
Shortening of these fibres by removal of tubulin subunits separates the chromatids and pull them to opposite poles
What are non-kinetochore microtubules ?
Spindle fibres not attached to kinetochores
They interact with non kinetochore microtubules from the opposite pole of the cell
- in a dividing animal cell : these are responsible for elongating the whole cell during anaphase
What is colchicine?
A chemical commonly used to prevent formation of spindle fibre in actively diving cells
- sister chromatids remain attached in the metaphase plate allowing observation of the number and structure of chromosomes as well as karyotyping
What are the four phases of mitosis?
(PMAT)
Prophase
Metaphase
Anaphase
Telophase
(Mitosis)
What happens in prophase?
- nucleolus disappears
- in animal cells centrosomes move to opposite poles of the cell, short microtubules develop form each pair of centrioles in the centrosomes forming an aster
- phosphorylation of various proteins on the inner surface of the nuclear envelope causes the nuclear envelope to disintegrate into small membrane vesicles
- microtubules extend from centrioles to form spindle fibre
- kinetochore assembles at each centromere
- both non kinetochore and kinetochore spindle fibres extend
What happens in metaphase?
(Longest stage of mitosis ~20 mins)
- centrosomes are now at opposite ends of the cell
- chromosome align on the metaphase plate/equator
- centromere lies on the plate - spindle fibres are now attached to kinetochores located at the centromere of each chromosome
What is the metaphase plate/equator?
An imaginary plane that is equidistant between the spindle’s two poles
(Mitosis)
What happens during anaphase?
(Shortest stage ~ a few mins)
- centromere of each chromosome divides and two sister chromatids of each chromosome separate
- each chromatid becomes a chromosome
- the two daughter chromosomes move, centromere first to the opposite poles of the spindle due to shortening of their spindle fibres : distinct V-shape of the chromosomes
- the cell elongates as the nonkinetochore microtubules lengthen