Biology Chapter on Cell Division

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary function of cell division?

To increase the size of the cell

To eliminate waste products

To transmit hereditary information (correct)

To produce energy for the cell

What constitutes the hereditary information in cells?

Proteins

DNA (correct)

Lipids

Carbohydrates

What are the smaller subunits that make up DNA called?

Amino acids

Nucleoproteins

Nucleases

Nucleotides (correct)

What structure do the two long strands of nucleotides in DNA form?

Double helix (C) Signup and view all the answers

What are genes primarily made of?

Nucleotides (D) Signup and view all the answers

How does mitotic cell division ensure daughter cells are genetically identical?

It replicates and distributes identical copies of DNA (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which component of nucleotides varies among the four bases?

Nucleotide base (A) Signup and view all the answers

During cell division, what happens to the DNA in terms of replication?

It replicates to create two identical copies (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of mitotic cell division in multicellular organisms?

To facilitate growth and repair (C) Signup and view all the answers

What follows after cell division in the life cycle of a cell?

Differentiation into specialized types (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which type of cells retain the ability to divide and can give rise to various specialized cell types?

Stem cells (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by the term 'potency' in the context of stem cells?

The ability to differentiate into various cell types (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which type of cell is described as permanently differentiated and does not divide again?

Most brain cells (B) Signup and view all the answers

How do the daughter cells produced from a stem cell division typically behave?

One remains a stem cell while the other differentiates (D) Signup and view all the answers

What does the process of the cell cycle consist of?

Divide, grow, differentiate, and divide again (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which category of cells can only differentiate into one or two specific cell types?

Other cells capable of dividing (D) Signup and view all the answers

What describes the process by which offspring are formed from a single parent?

Asexual reproduction (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which cell division process occurs in the reproductive systems of eukaryotic organisms?

Meiotic cell division (B) Signup and view all the answers

How is the DNA structured in prokaryotic cells?

In a single, circular chromosome (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the first stage of the prokaryotic cell cycle?

Attachment of the chromosome to the plasma membrane (C) Signup and view all the answers

What structure separates eukaryotic chromosomes from the cytoplasm?

Nuclear membrane (C) Signup and view all the answers

What occurs after the circular DNA chromosome replicates in prokaryotic cells?

New plasma membrane is added between attachment points (B) Signup and view all the answers

How do eukaryotic chromosomes typically compare in length to prokaryotic chromosomes?

Longer (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the final step in binary fission for prokaryotic cells?

Fusion of membrane along the cell equator (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of meiotic cell division?

To generate gametes with reduced genetic information (C) Signup and view all the answers

What role do telomeres play in chromosomes?

Ensure chromosome stability (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the average length of a human chromosome's DNA double helix?

50 million to 250 million nucleotides (A) Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes daughter cells produced by binary fission in prokaryotic organisms?

They are genetically identical (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the centromere in a chromosome?

Holds sister chromatids together (B) Signup and view all the answers

What limits the length of DNA during cell division?

Proteins that condense DNA (B) Signup and view all the answers

What ensures that the DNA in eukaryotic chromosomes is compacted?

Protein scaffolding (C) Signup and view all the answers

What defines a gene within a chromosome?

A segment of DNA hundreds to thousands of nucleotides long (D) Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the nucleolus during prophase?

It begins to disappear (C) Signup and view all the answers

What role do centrioles play during prophase?

They serve as loci for spindle microtubules (B) Signup and view all the answers

What type of microtubules attach to the kinetochores of chromatids?

Kinetochore microtubules (A) Signup and view all the answers

During prophase, how do sister chromatids attach to spindle microtubules?

Each chromatid attaches to a microtubule from opposite poles (C) Signup and view all the answers

What occurs to the nuclear envelope during prophase?

It disintegrates releasing the duplicated chromosomes (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of polar microtubules during prophase?

They maintain the structure of the spindle apparatus (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the status of centrioles in resting cells before the S phase?

They exist in pairs (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which organisms can form spindle poles without centrioles?

Plants, fungi, and some algae (A) Signup and view all the answers

What occurs during mitotic metaphase regarding chromosomes?

Chromosomes align at the cell's equator. (D) Signup and view all the answers

During which phase do sister chromatids separate into daughter chromosomes?

Anaphase (B) Signup and view all the answers

What role do motor proteins play in mitotic anaphase?

They pull chromatids apart toward opposite poles. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the chromosomes during telophase?

Chromosomes unwind and revert to an extended state. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Why are daughter chromosomes genetically identical after mitotic division?

They are derived from identical sister chromatids. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What occurs to the spindle microtubules during telophase?

They disintegrate. (D) Signup and view all the answers

How do polar microtubules contribute to cell shape during anaphase?

By overlapping and pushing on each other. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the initial behavior of the kinetochores in mitotic metaphase?

They start to align the chromosomes. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Cellular Reproduction

Cellular reproduction is the process by which a parent cell gives rise to two daughter cells.
Each daughter cell receives a complete set of hereditary information and about half of the parent cell's cytoplasm.
Hereditary information is generally identical to that of the parent cell.
Cell division is crucial for growth, development, and repair in multicellular organisms.

Functions of Cell Division

Cell division transmits hereditary information to each daughter cell.
The hereditary information in all cells is deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).
DNA is a long chain of smaller subunits called nucleotides.
Each nucleotide consists of a phosphate, a sugar (deoxyribose), and one of four bases: adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), or cytosine (C).
DNA in a chromosome consists of two long strands of nucleotides wound around each other, forming a double helix.
Units of inheritance called genes, are segments of DNA.
The sequence of nucleotides in genes determines the instructions for making proteins.
When a cell divides, it replicates its DNA to create two identical copies, distributing one copy to each daughter cell.

Prokaryotic Cell Cycle

Prokaryotic DNA is contained in a single, circular chromosome.
Prokaryotic chromosomes are not enclosed within a membrane-bound nucleus.
The prokaryotic cell cycle involves a lengthy growth period followed by binary fission (splitting into two).
Binary fission involves five stages.
- Attachment of the chromosome to a point on the plasma membrane
- Replication of the circular DNA chromosome
- The cell increases in size, and the duplicated chromosomes move apart.
- The plasma membrane grows inward between the chromosome copies.
- Fusion of the plasma membrane completes separation, resulting in two daughter cells.

Eukaryotic Chromosome Organization

Eukaryotic chromosomes differ from prokaryotic chromosomes in significant ways.
Eukaryotic chromosomes are located within a membrane-bound nucleus.
Eukaryotic cells typically have multiple chromosomes.
Eukaryotic chromosomes are significantly longer and contain more DNA than prokaryotic chromosomes.
The greater complexity of eukaryotic chromosomes stems from the way DNA is packaged.
DNA is wrapped around proteins called histones.
These DNA-histone spools fold into coils and loops attached to protein scaffolding.
During cell division, the chromosomes further condense.

Eukaryotic Cell Cycle

The eukaryotic cell cycle comprises interphase and cell division.
Interphase is a period of growth, nutrient acquisition, and chromosome duplication.
Interphase includes three phases:
- G1 (growth phase 1): acquisition of nutrients and growth to proper size.
- S (synthesis phase): DNA synthesis where every chromosome is replicated.
- G2 (growth phase 2): completion of cell growth and preparation for division.

Mitotic Cell Division

Mitosis consists of four phases followed by cytokinesis.
Prophase: The duplicated chromosomes condense, the nucleolus disappears, and spindle microtubules form. Sister chromatids coil up.
Metaphase: Chromosomes are drawn to the center of the spindle, and kinetochore microtubules attach to each sister chromatid.
Anaphase: Sister chromatids separate and move to opposite poles of the cell as polar microtubules push the poles apart.
Telophase: Spindle microtubules disintegrate. A nuclear membrane forms around each group of chromosomes, which de-condense. Nucleoli reappear.
Cytokinesis: Cytoplasm division in animal cells. Microfilaments form a ring around the cell's equator and constrict it, pinching off the membrane to form two daughter cells. Plant cells form a cell plate which fuses with the cell membrane to build a new cell wall, and separate the two cells.

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Test your understanding of cell division and the fundamental concepts of genetics with this quiz. Explore topics such as mitosis, genetic information, and the role of stem cells. Perfect for students studying biology at any level.