Topic 2 cells and control Flashcards
what do most cells in your body have
a nucleus that contains your genetic material in the form of chromosomes
what are chromosomes
coiled up lengths of DNA molecules
what happens when a cell divides by mitosis
it makes two diploid genetically identical daughter cells and the nucleus of each contains the same amount as the original cell
body cells in what organisms divide by mitosis
multicellular
what do multicellular organisms use mitosis for
to grow or replace cells that have been damaged
reproduce (asexual reproduction)
what is interphase
- In a cell that’s not dividing the DNA is all spread out into long strings
- before it divides the cell has to grow and to increase the amount of subcellular structures
- It then duplicates its DNA so there’s one copy for each new cell
- the DNA is copied and forms X shaped chromosomes and each arm of the chromosome is an exact duplicate of the each other
what happens in prophase
- the chromosomes condense getting shorter and fatter
- the membrane around the nucleus breaks down and the chromosomes lie free in the cytoplasm
what happens in metaphase
- the chromosomes line up in the middle of the cell
what happens in anaphase
cell fibres pull the chromosomes apart and the two arms of each chromosome go to opposite ends of the cell
what happens in telophase
- membranes form around each of the sets of chromosomes. These become the nuclei of the two new cells
- the nucleus has divided
what happens in cytokinesis
- the cytoplasm and cell membrane divide to form two separate cells
how can you calculate the number of cells a certain amount of cell divisions
2 the power of n
for example after 5 cell divisions there will be 32 cells because 2 to the power of 5 is 32
how do plants grow
differentiation, division , elongation
what is cell differentiation
the process by which a cell changes to become specialised for its job
having specialised cells allows multicellular organisms to work more efficiently
what is cell division
mitosis
what is cell elongation
where a plant cell expands making the cell bigger and so the plant grow
discuss growth in animals
- happens by cell division
- animals tend to grow while they’re young and then they reach full growth and stop growing
- so when you are young cells divide at a fast rate but once your an adult most cell division is for repair
- the cells divide to replace old or damaged cells
- this also means in animals cell differentiation is lost at an early stage
discuss growth in plants
- growth in height mainly due to cell elongation
- cell division usually just happens in the tips of the roots and shoots in areas called meristems
- but plants often grow continuously (even really old trees will keep putting out new branches)
- so plants continue to differentiate to develop new parts like leaves and roots
discuss cancer in relation to cell division and growth
- the rate at which cells divide by mitosis is controlled by the chemical instructions (genes) in an organisms DNA
- If there’s a change in one of the genes that controls cell division, the cell may start dividing uncontrollably
- This can result in a mass of abnormal cells called a tumour
- if the tumour invades and destroys surrounding tissue it is called cancer
why do we use percentile charts
to assess a child’s growth over time so that an overall pattern in development can be seen and any problems highlighted (e.g obesity, malnutrition, dwarfism)
for example a baby growth is regularly monitored after birth to make sure its growing normally
- length
- mass
- head circumference
what are undifferentiated cells
stem cells
where are adult stem cells found
bone marrow
why do embryonic stem cells need to be able to differentiate into any type of cell
because all the body’s cells develop from the one embryo
what is the problem with adult stem cells
only found in certain places like bone marrow
they only make certain types of cell
discuss meristems
- in plants the only cells that divide by mitosis are found in plant tissues called meristems
- meristem tissue is found in the areas of a plant that are growing e.g the tips of roots and shoots
- meristems produce unspecialised cells that are able to divide and from any cell type in the plant (they act like embryonic stem cells)
- unlike human stem cells these cells can divide and differentiate to generate any type of cell for as long as the plant lives
- these unspecialised cells go on to form specialised tissues like xylem and phloem