Pre-Lab Questions
1. What are chromosomes made of?
2. Research the differences that exist between mitosis and binary fission. Identify at least one difference, and explain why it is significant.
3. Cancer is a disease related to uncontrolled cell division. Investigate two known causes for these rapidly dividing cells.
Experiment 1: Observation of Mitosis in a Plant Cell
Table 1: Mitosis Predictions
| Predictions | |
| “Supporting Evidence” |
Table 2: Mitosis Data
| Stage | Number of Cells in Each Stage | Total Number of Cells | Calculated % of Time Spent in Each Stage |
| Interphase | |||
| Prophase | |||
| Metaphase | |||
| Anaphase | |||
| Telophase | |||
| Cytokinesis |
Insert photos of your drawings of a dividing cell in the appropriate area for each stage of the cell cycle (please include your name and access code handwritten in each of the sketch photos):
Interphase:
Prophase:
Metaphase:
Anaphase:
Telophase:
Cytokinesis:
Post-Lab Questions
1. Label the arrows in the slide image below with the appropriate stage of the cell cycle.
| Structure | Identity |
| A | Click here to enter text. |
| B | Click here to enter text. |
| C | Click here to enter text. |
| D | Click here to enter text. |
| E | Click here to enter text. |
| F | Click here to enter text. |
2. In what stage were most of the onion root tip cells? Based on what you know about cell cycle division, what does this imply about the life span of a cell?
3. Were there any stages of the cell cycle that you did not observe? How can you explain this using evidence from the cell cycle?
4. As a cell grows, what happens to its surface area to volume ratio? (Hint: Think of a balloon being blown up). How does this ratio change with respect to cell division?
5. What is the function of mitosis in a cell that is about to divide?
6. What would happen if mitosis were uncontrolled?
7. How accurate were your time prediction for each stage of the cell cycle?
Experiment 2: Tracking Chromosomal DNA Movement through Mitosis
Cell Cycle Division: Mitosis Beads Diagram: Insert photos of your drawings in the appropriate area for each stage of the cell cycle (please include your name and access code handwritten in each of the sketch photos):
Prophase Number of chromatids present per cell:
Metaphase Number of chromatids present per cell:
Anaphase Number of chromatids present per cell:
Telophase Number of chromatids present per cell:
Cytokinesis Number of chromatids present per cell:
Post-Lab Questions
1. How many chromatids did each of your daughter cells contain?
2. Why is it important for each daughter cell to contain information identical to the parent cell?
3. How often do human skin cells divide? Why might that be? Compare this rate to how frequently human neurons divide. What do you notice?
4. Hypothesize what would happen if the sister chromatids did not split equally during anaphase of mitosis.