Mitosis

The Story of a Cell That Divided into Two Daughter Cells

Beatrice Galido

II-2

Biology Performance Task

 Day One
I have always been an animal cell like the others around me. It has been pretty fun,
and all of us here who make up this wonderful creation of
God enjoy being cells. We work together as one. All of us
make up this very special human being. We are proud to be
called his cells, the one who compose him and contain his
DNA. I’m sure he’ll reproducing someday, and that his
offspring will have some of the traits he possesses right now,
yet still be a completely different individual from him.

I enjoy being a cell. I am of one the millions who compose

him, and all of us are proud because we give him whatever
makes him unique and different from anyone on the entire
planet. He takes care of himself very well and because of this
he is doing all of us cells a favour. He takes enough of what
it takes to keep us happy and healthy and functioning. And
so far, no cancer cells have developed. No malignant tumors
or symptoms so far, which is very nice for us all to know.
He takes care of himself very well, and I’m sure he’ll live
pretty long in this world, making the most out of what God
has given him. I am proud that my nucleus bears his DNA.
Someday I know I will pass it on to other cells when I start dividing into two. I
remember being another cell. I thought I was a half before, but I was a whole and
always will be. That’s just how it is—something like one pie dividing into two, and
each piece is not a half, but a whole. And as far as I know, only diploid cells like
me undergo and experience that kind of magic that baffles many who try to
understand. And, I don’t think it ever fails to thrill me each time I divide!

Day Two
Lately, my ribosomes have been making proteins—unusually large amounts of it. I
can’t believe I’m going through interphase again. It
only feels like yesterday when cytokinesis had just
finished and I was a new whole again. I can’t complain. This man that I am
composing is a growing boy. I can’t blame him. And during this time, his growth
hormones are pretty strong and his glands are producing much of it. The hormones
are so intense that everyone can feel it. All of us are silent. We will all be dividing
soon, and fast! It is painful for us, but we get used to it. And sometimes we’re so
used to it that we don’t feel anything anymore. Sometimes we feel liberated from
the pain because we have experienced it so many times. One cell must always
divide. It is his duty and must continue to do it because it is mandatory for every
cell. No cell is given the right to complain. Because, really, no cell can.

Later.

This is the better part! I just can’t describe the feeling I get when I see that my
organelles have replicas. I love seeing their perfect, exact copies and I never really
do get tired of this feeling. It thrills me and fascinates me very much. I forget about
how tired I am, how much interphase wears me out. I can’t wait to turn into two
new cells. I can’t wait to pass on what I am now possessing, over and over again. I
don’t think a cell ever gets tired of dividing. Being one, a cell has accepted the
duty of having to divide for as long as the man he and many other cells compose
lives. Like I said, this guy will live pretty long and so will we, needless to say.
Unless some tragic accident will put an end to his life, or some sudden, mysterious
sickness will suddenly appear. I hope nothing like that will ever happen to him.

Day Three
A spindle had started earlier during the morning. All the genetic material inside me
condensed. There was this thing called chromatin, which is a granulated form of
the chromosomes. What is this spindle for? This spindle is a system of
microtubules that will help to separate the duplicated
chromosomes. Once prophase ends, my chromosomes will
coil more tightly than ever. I expect my nucleolus to
disappear like they always do during prophase. Eventually,
they do. My nuclear envelope is breaking down.
Later.
It is during metaphase when I see the chromatids perfectly lined up at the center.
Spindle fibers are attached to their centromeres to the opposite poles. I suddenly
feel them being pulled apart and then , they are separate into two groups. I am
proud that each of these two groups of chromosomes will
become a part of two new cells. Right now my chromosomes
are beginning to spread out into a tangle of chromatin. A
nuclear envelope is forming around each group of
chromosomes. Each of them will be the
nucleus of the new cell that they will be a part of. The
mitotic spindle breaks apart and the nucleolus becomes
visible. My cell membrane is drawing inward until the
cytoplasm is pinched in half.

I have just divided. I feel fresh and new and most of all,
very very good. I can’t wait for the next time when I will be dividing.