Cell Cycle Worksheet

1. Define cell division.

Cell division is the continuation of life based on the reproduction of cells.
2. Define cell cycle.
Cell cycle is the life of a cell from the time it is first formed during division pf a parent cell until
its own division into two daughter cells.
3. A breakdown in the cell cycle can cause…………

4. Please give a brief description of cell division using three short steps.
Cell Division has three simple steps. The first is development, then it’s growth. The last step is
repair.
5. Define genome.
A genome is all of the DNA, genetic information, in a cell.
6. How do prokaryote and eukaryote genome arrangement differ?
A prokaryote genome is a single DNA molecule while an eukaryote genome consists of a
number of DNA molecules.
7. Define chromosome.
A chromosome is DNA molecules packed together into structures.
8. Define gene.
A gene is a basic unit of information that specify an organism’s inherited traits.
9. What is the role of chromosomal proteins?
The role of chromosomal proteins is to maintain structure of the chromosome and help control
the activity of genes.
10. Define chromatin.
Chromatin is the entire complex of DNA and proteins that is the building material of
chromosomes.
11. Define somatic cells and gametes.
Somatic cells are all body cells except for the reproductive cells. Gametes are reproductive cells
which are the sperm and egg.
12. How many chromosomes do human somatic cells have? What about their gametes?
Somatic cells have two sets of 23 chromosomes which in total is 46 chromosomes. Gametes have
only one set of 23 chromosomes.
13. Is chromosomal number the same among all mammals?
The chromosomal number varies among different species. For example, humans have 46 while
elephants have 56.
14. How would you describe the structure of DNA when a cell is NOT dividing?

15. Define sister chromatids.

Sister chromatids are two single chromosomes stuck together.
16. Define cohesions
Cohesins are proteins that held sister chromatids together.
17. Define centromere.
Centromere is a narrow waist of sister chromatid.
18. Once sister chromatid separates and move into two nuclei they are considered……….
Individual chromosomes.
19. Define mitosis.
Mitosis is the division of the genetic material in the nucleus.
20. Define cytokinesis.
Cytokinesis is the division of the cytoplasm.
21. What cellular process produces new skin cells? How many sets of chromosomes do skin
cells?
The cellular process that produces new skin cells is mitosis. Skin cells have two sets of
chromosomes.
22. What cellular process produces gametes? How many sets of chromosomes do gametes have?
The cellular process that produces gametes is meiosis. Gametes only have one set of
chromosomes.
23. Where does meiosis occur in the human body?
Meiosis only occurs in special cells in the ovaries or testes (gonads).
24. What is the shortest part of the cell cycle?
The shortest part of the cell cycle is mitotic (M) phase which includes mitosis and cytokinesis.
25. In the cell cycle, the mitotic phase alternates with a much longer phase called……
Interphase which accounts about 90% of the cell cycle.
26. Define interphase.
The interphase is the phase where the cell is not dividing. For interphase, it breaks down to three
subphases: G1, S, and G2.
27. Describe the three phases of interphase.
The first phase of interphase is G1. In this phase, the cell grows by producing proteins and
cytoplasmic organelles such as mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. The second phase is S.
In the S phase, chromosomes are duplicated which is important for cell division as the cell
continues to grow. The last phase is G2. In G2 phase, the cell continues to grow while
preparations are made for cell division.
28. Draw a picture of the cell cycle.

29. Within interphase, where does a cell spend most of its time?
Within interphase, the cell spend most of its time during the S phase which takes 10-12. M phase
takes around an hour. G2 takes around 4-6 hours while G1 takes around 5-6 hours.
30. Which phase is the most variable in length?
The phase that is the most variable in length is G1 phase in different types of cells since
multicellular organisms divides infrequently while others don’t at all.
31. List the 5 stages of mitosis.
The 5 stages of mitosis are prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase and
cytokinesis.
32. What stage follows mitosis?
The stage that follows mitosis is G2 phase.
33. Use Figure 12.7 in your textbook to describe each phase of mitosis.
 G2 phase:
34. Define mitotic spindle
Mitotic spindle is fibers made up of microtubules which forms during prophase. The purpose of
the mitotic spindle is to line up the sister chromatids and separate them into individual
chromosomes.
35. Define centrosome and describe their movement during mitosis.
Centrosome is a subcellular region containing material that functions throughout the cell cycle to
organize the cell’s microtubules. During mitosis, the centrosomes duplicates itself forming two
centrosomes near the nucleus. From there, the two centrosomes move apart during prophase and
move to the opposite ends of the cell during prometaphase. When the two centrosomes arrived at
the opposite ends, the mitotic spindle is made which it connects to the centrosomes.
36. Define kinetochore.
Kinetochore is a structure made up of proteins that have assembled on specific sections of DNA
at each centrosome.
37. Define metaphase plate.
Metaphase plate is an imaginary plate in the middle of the cell where all of the sister chromatids
are at before the mitotic split them apart forming chromosomes.
38. Define separase.
Separase is an enzyme that cleaved the chromosomes.
39. What do motor proteins do?
The motor proteins help kinetochores “walk” the chromosomes along the microtubules which
depolymerize at their kinetochore ends after the motor proteins have passed.
40. Define cleavage
Cleavage is cytokinesis in animal cells.
41. Define cleavage furrow.
Cleavage furrow is a shallow groove in the cell surface near the old metaphase plate. On the
cytoplasmic side of the furrow, it is a contractile ring of actin microfilaments associated with
molecules of the protein myosin.
42. Describe the role of actin and myosin in cytokinesis.
The role of actin and myosin during cytokinesis is to cause the contractile ring to contract by
interacting with each other. This causes the cleavage furrow to deepen until the parent cell is
pinched in two, producing two separate cell.
43. Define cell plate.

44. How does cell division in animals differ plants? Pleas explain in detail.
Cell division in animals differs in plants because plants have cell wall and animals doesn’t. This
means that plants do not have cleavage furrow while animals do. Since plants do not have
cleavage furrow, the alternate is that vesicles from the Golgi apparatus move along microtubules
to the middle of the cell where they coalesce. This produces a cell plate.
45. Use figure 12.12 to describe binary fission in bacterial cells.
Binary fission means division in half which refers the asexual production of single-celled
eukaryotes. The first step is replicating the chromosomes which the copy will move the one end
of the cell while the original copy stay at the other end. The second step is the copies are finally
at other ends of the cell while the cell elongated. The third step is that the plasma membrane is
pinched inward by a tubulin-like protein, and a new cell wall is deposited.
46. Define origin of replication.
The origin of replication is a specific place where chromosomes begins to replicate.
47. Define cell cycle control system.
Cell cycle control system is a cyclically operating set of molecules in the cell that both triggers
and coordinates key events in the cell cycle.
48. Define checkpoint
Checkpoint is a control point in the cell cycle where stop and go-head signals can regulate the
cycle. There are three important checkpoints which are found in G1, G2, and M phases.
49. Define cyclin
Cyclin is a protein that activates the kinase to be active.
50. Define cyclin-dependent kinases
Cyclin-dependent kinases are regulatory protein that activates other proteins by phosphorylating
them, but to be active, the kinases must be attached to cyclin.
51. Define MPF.
MPF (maturation-promoting factor) is a cyclin-Cdk complex that triggers the cell’s passage past
the G2 checkpoint into the M phase.
52. Define Go phase.
G0 phase is a phase where the cell exits the cycle and switches to the non-diving state if the cell
does not receive a stop and go-signal.
53. Define growth factor.
A growth factor is a protein that is released by certain cells that stimulates other cells to divide.
54. Define anchorage dependence

55. Define density-dependent inhibition

56. How do cancer cells relate to the terms listed in #55 and 56?

57. Provide examples of cells that divide: slowly, quickly, and cells that do not divide at all.

58. How do growth factors affect cancer cells??????????

59. What are HeLa cells?

HeLa cells are cells that has been reproducing since 1951 due a tumor being removed from its
original source which was a woman named Henrietta Lacks.
60. How many times do nontransformed cells typically divide?
Non-transformed cells typically divide 20-50 times before they stop dividing, age, and die.
61. Be able to describe the scenario where one cancer cell turns into malignant tumor.

62. Benign tumor vs malignant tumor.

Benign tumor is a tumor that remains its original site. Malignant tumor is a tumor that spreads to
new tissues other than its original site due to genetic and cellular changes.
63. Describe how you treat different types of tumors. Give details for each type of treatment.
Since benign tumor does not cause serious problems, it can be removed by surgery. Tumors that
are malignant can be treated with high-energy radiation or chemotherapeutic drugs.