5

THE CELL CYCLE:

Interphase, Mitosis, and Cytokinesis

OBJECTIVES

$IWHUFRPSOHWLQJWKLVH[HUFLVH\RXZLOOEHDEOHWR

 'LVFXVVWKHVLJQL¿FDQFHRIFHOOXODUUHSURGXFWLRQ
2. List the stages of mitosis and the events that characterize each stage.
 ([SODLQZKDWLVPHDQWE\FKURPRVRPHGXSOLFDWLRQUHSOLFDWLRQDQGLWVVLJQL¿FDQFH
 'LVWLQJXLVKEHWZHHQPLWRVLVDQGF\WRNLQHVLV
 ([SODLQKRZFHOOXODUUHSURGXFWLRQGL൵HUVEHWZHHQDQLPDOVDQGSODQWV

INTRODUCTION
Perhaps the most dramatic of all cellular activities is the process of cellular reproduction. It is
WKURXJKWKLVSURFHVVWKDWDVLQJOHFHOOFDQJLYHULVHWRWZRJHQHWLFDOO\LGHQWLFDOGDXJKWHUFHOOV
,QWKHFDVHRIDXQLFHOOXODURUJDQLVPFHOOGLYLVLRQUHVXOWVLQWKHSURGXFWLRQRIQHZRUJDQLVPV
,QPXOWLFHOOXODURUJDQLVPVKRZHYHUFHOOGLYLVLRQOHDGVWRWKHgrowth of the organism by the
DGGLWLRQRIQHZFHOOVrepairRILQMXUHGWLVVXHVDQGRUJDQVRUmaintenance of the organism
WKURXJKWKHUHSODFHPHQWRIROGVSHQWFHOOVVNLQFHOOVEORRGFHOOVHWF

,QHXNDU\RWLFRUJDQLVPVFHOOGLYLVLRQFDQEHSDUWLWLRQHGLQWRWZRGLVWLQFWVWDJHVWKH
GLYLVLRQRIWKHQXFOHXV²mitosis or karyokinesisDQGWKHGLYLVLRQRIWKHF\WRSODVPDQGFHOO
FRQWHQWV²cytokinesis. Since the processes are very similar in most eukaryotic organisms, they
FDQEHVWXGLHGLQRQHRUWZRUHSUHVHQWDWLYHRUJDQLVPV

RELEVANCE

$OOOLIHFRPHVIURPSUHH[LVWLQJOLIH7KLVVWDWHPHQWPHDQVWKDWOLIHFDQQRWVSRQWDQHRXVO\
RFFXURQO\OLYLQJFHOOVJLYHULVHWRQHZFHOOV2QHZD\WKDWFHOOVUHSOLFDWHLVWKURXJKPLWRWLF
cell division Mitotic cell division can be described as asexualPHDQLQJWKHUHLVQRGL൵HUHQFH
LQWKHFKURPRVRPHFRQ¿JXUDWLRQEHWZHHQWKHSURGXFHGFHOOVGDXJKWHUFHOOVDQGWKHRULJLQDO
SDUHQWFHOO<RXPD\QRZEHWKLQNLQJWR\RXUVHOI³6RZKDW"´,WUHDOO\LVDELJGHDOEHFDXVH
if the daughter cells are identical to the parent cells then they are capable of doing everything
the parent cells can do. So, mitotic division results in the “cloning” of the parent cell. Because

83
Lab Exercise 10

WKHGDXJKWHUFHOOVKDYHH[DFWO\WKHVDPH'1$VWUXFWXUHDVWKHSDUHQWVPLWRWLFGLYLVLRQRFFXUV
ZKHQHYHUWKHRUJDQLVPQHHGVWRPDNHLGHQWLFDOFRSLHVRIWKHSDUHQWFHOOV

<RXDUHDPXOWLFHOOXODURUJDQLVPDQGGLGQRWHPHUJHIURPWKHZRPEDW\RXUFXUUHQWKHLJKWDQG
ZHLJKWWKDQNJRRGQHVVUDWKHU\RXJUHZLQVL]HDVFHOOQXPEHUVLQFUHDVHGDVDUHVXOWRIPLWRVLV
If you fall and skin your knee, your body repairs the damaged area via mitotic division of cells
QHDUWKHGDPDJHGDUHDWKLVLQVXUHVWKDWFHOOVFDSDEOHRIIXQFWLRQLQJLQWKHVDPHFDSDFLW\DVWKH
GDPDJHGFHOOVKHDOWKHD൵HFWHGDUHD0DQ\FHOOVLQ\RXUERG\IXQFWLRQIRURQO\VKRUWSHULRGV
of time before they have to be replaced. For instance, skin cells last only a couple of days, and
EORRGFHOOVODVWDERXWGD\V7RUHSODFHWKHVHZRUQRXWFHOOVPLWRWLFGLYLVLRQUHJXODUO\RFFXUV
enabling the body to properly maintain an adequate and continuous supply of these cell types.

PHASES OF THE CELL CYCLE

I. INTERPHASE

,QWHUSKDVHLVWKDWSHULRGEHWZHHQWKHHQGRIRQHGLYLVLRQDQGWKHEHJLQQLQJRIWKHQH[WGLYLVLRQ
$WRQHWLPHLWZDVWKRXJKWWKDWWKHFHOOZDV³UHVWLQJ´GXULQJLQWHUSKDVHKRZHYHUVXEVHTXHQW
ELRFKHPLFDODQDO\VLVKDVVKRZQWKDWWKLVLVWKHPRVWPHWDEROLFDOO\DFWLYHVWDJHRIWKHOLIH
cycle of the cell. It is during this period that the chromosomes are replicated, enzymes are
V\QWKHVL]HGQHZRUJDQHOOHVHQGRSODVPLFUHWLFXOXPULERVRPHVHWFDUHPDGHDQGWKHFHOO
generally doubles in size:KHQDQLQWHUSKDVHFHOOLVVWDLQHGZLWKDG\HVSHFL¿FIRUQXFOHLF
DFLGWKHFKURPRVRPHVDUHFRPSRVHGLQSDUWRI'1$²GHR[\ULERQXFOHLFDFLGWKHQXFOHXV
DSSHDUVWREHQHDUO\XQLIRUPO\DQGOLJKWO\FRORUHGZLWKWKHH[FHSWLRQRIRQHRUPRUHGDUNO\
VWDLQHGERGLHV(DFKRIWKHVHERGLHVLVDQXFOHROXVSOXUDO QXFOHROLDQGFRQWDLQVDQRWKHUW\SH
RIQXFOHLFDFLG51$²ULERQXFOHLFDFLG7KHFKURPRVRPHVDOWKRXJKSUHVHQWLQWKHQXFOHXV
are extremely long and thin. Thus, during interphase, individual chromosomes cannot be seen
ZLWKWKHOLJKWPLFURVFRSHEXWWKHLUpresence can be inferred from the fact that the nucleus took
up the dye.

II. MITOSIS

7KHHDUOLHVWREVHUYDWLRQVRIPLWRVLVZHUHPDGHE\F\WRORJLVWVDQGWKHSURFHVVKDVVLQFHEHHQ
GHVFULEHGLQF\WRORJLFDOWHUPVLHLQWHUPVRIWKHPRUSKRORJLFDOFKDQJHVWKDWRFFXUZLWKLQ
WKHFHOO%HDZDUHWKDWPLWRWLFFHOOGLYLVLRQLVDFRQWLQXRXVSURFHVVDQGWKDWHYHQWVZLWKLQWKH
process are regulated or timed to proceed in a smooth, uninterrupted, organized sequence from
EHJLQQLQJWRHQG$VVXFKZHFDQGLYLGHWKHSURFHVVLQWRGLVFUHWHVWDJHVSURSKDVHPHWDSKDVH
DQDSKDVHDQGWHORSKDVHDQGXVHYLVLEOHFXHVWRGH¿QHWKHVWDJHV0LWRVLVFHQWHUVDURXQGWKH
activities of the chromosomes, as they are only visible during mitosis. These thread-like bodies
FRQWDLQWKHJHQHV²WKHEOXHSULQWVIRUWKHRUJDQL]DWLRQDQGIXQFWLRQLQJRIWKHFHOO3D\SDUWLFXODU
DWWHQWLRQWRWKHDUUDQJHPHQWRIWKHVHFKURPRVRPHVDVZHOODVWKHQXFOHDUPHPEUDQHQXFOHROL
DQGVSLQGOH¿EHUV

86
 The Cell Cycle

A. Prophase: When mitosis begins, several changes occur in the cell. The chromosomes start
to condense, probably by coiling along their long axes, and eventually reach a thickness that
PDNHVWKHPYLVLEOHXQGHUWKHOLJKWPLFURVFRSH$WWKHVDPHWLPHERWKWKHQXFOHDUPHPEUDQH
DQGWKHQXFOHROLEHJLQWRGLVLQWHJUDWH,QKLJKHUDQLPDOFHOOVRQO\DSDLURIVPDOOERGLHVWKH
centriolesEHJLQWRPLJUDWHWRZDUGRSSRVLWHSROHVRIWKHFHOOWKHUHDUHQRFHQWULROHVLQSODQW
FHOOV7KHFHQWULROHVZLOOEHLQYROYHGLQWKHIRUPDWLRQRIWKHspindleDSSDUDWXVDQHWZRUNRI
microtubules that assists in moving the chromosomes from the center of the cell to each pole.
This entire sequence of events is called the prophase of mitosis. It is during the later stages of
SURSKDVHWKDWZHFDQ¿UVWVHHWKDWWKHFKURPRVRPHVKDYHEHHQUHSOLFDWHG,WLVLPSRUWDQWWRQRWH
that the chromosomes are replicated during interphase, but it is not until late prophase that this
replicate nature becomes clearly visible under the light microscope.
B. Metaphase:KHQWKHFKURPRVRPHVKDYHEHFRPHVKRUWHUDQGWKLFNHQHGWKH\ZLOOEHJLQ
WRPLJUDWHWRZDUGWKHFHQWHURIWKHFHOOHTXDWRULDOSODWH$WWKHVDPHWLPHWKHVSLQGOH¿EHUV
ZLOOEHPRYLQJIURPWKHSROHVWRZDUGWKHHTXDWRURIWKHFHOO7KHGXSOLFDWHGFKURPRVRPHV
are separated from one another except at one point called the centromere. When they are
LQWKLVDWWDFKHGFRQGLWLRQDVWKH\KDYHEHHQVLQFHWKH\ZHUHUHSOLFDWHGHDFKKDOILVFDOOHGD
chromatid$VWKH\MRVWOHRQHDQRWKHUIRUSRVLWLRQDORQJWKHHTXDWRURQHVSLQGOH¿EHUIURP
HDFKSROHZLOODWWDFKWRHDFKFHQWURPHUHDWWKHkinetochore. This is the metaphase of mitosis.
$WWKHFRQFOXVLRQRIPHWDSKDVHHDFKFHQWURPHUHKROGLQJWZRLGHQWLFDOFKURPDWLGVWKHRULJLQDO
FKURPRVRPHDQGLWVH[DFWFRS\LVDWWDFKHGWRWZRVSLQGOH¿EHUVRQHIURPHDFKSROH
C. Anaphase2QFHDOORIWKHFHQWURPHUHVKDYHEHHQDWWDFKHGWRVSLQGOH¿EHUVWKHDQDSKDVH
RIPLWRVLVEHJLQV$WWKHEHJLQQLQJRIWKLVSKDVHWKHFHQWURPHUHVRIDSDLURIFKURPDWLGV
ZKLFKKDGEHHQVWXFNWRJHWKHUDUHQRZSXOOHGDSDUW2QFHWKHFHQWURPHUHVDUHSXOOHGDSDUWWKH
chromatids are considered complete chromosomes. These chromosomes move along the spindle
¿EHUVWRZDUGWKHLUUHVSHFWLYHSROHVSODFLQJRQHFRS\RIHDFKSDLUDWHDFKSROH
D. Telophase2QFHWKHFKURPRVRPHVKDYHUHDFKHGWKHLUUHVSHFWLYHSROHVWKHODVWSKDVH
of mitosis begins, the telophase. Telophase is essentially the reverse of prophase. The
FKURPRVRPHVEHJLQWRGLVWHQGXQFRLOWKHVSLQGOH¿EHUVEHJLQWREUHDNGRZQDQGWKHQXFOHDU
PHPEUDQHVDQGQXFOHROLDUHUHFRQVWLWXWHG$WWKLVSRLQWWKHGLYLVLRQRIWKHQXFOHXVKDVEHHQ
FRPSOHWHG7KHUHDUHQRZWZRQXFOHLHDFKKDYLQJLGHQWLFDOVHWVRIFKURPRVRPHV

III. CYTOKINESIS

&\WRNLQHVLVZLOOXVXDOO\EHJLQGXULQJRUMXVWDIWHUWHORSKDVH,QSODQWFHOOVWKHQHZFHOOZDOOcell
plateLVODLGGRZQE\HDFKRIWKHWZRSUHVXPSWLYHGDXJKWHUFHOOVLQDSODQHEHWZHHQWKHP7KH
QHZFHOOZDOOEHJLQVLQWKHPLGGOHRIWKHF\WRSODVPDQGLVEXLOWRXWZDUGWRZDUGWKHROGFHOOZDOO
,QDQLPDOFHOOVZKLFKKDYHQRFHOOZDOOVF\WRNLQHVLVEHJLQVZLWKWKHIRUPDWLRQRIDcleavage
furrow, an invagination of the cell membrane from all sides around the equator until it meets in
WKHFHQWHUWKXVIRUPLQJWZRQHZFHOOV7KHF\WRSODVPLFFRPSRQHQWVFHOOXODURUJDQHOOHVVROXEOH
PROHFXOHVHWFDUHSDUWLWLRQHGURXJKO\HTXDOO\EHWZHHQWKHF\WRSODVPLFPDWHULDOV:KHUHYHU
WKHVHFRPSRQHQWVKDSSHQWREHDWWKHWLPHRIF\WRNLQHVLVZLOOGHWHUPLQHWRZKLFKRIWKHWZR
GDXJKWHUFHOOVWKH\ZLOOXOWLPDWHO\EHORQJ

87
Lab Exercise 10

PROCEDURE

A. Plant Mitotic Cell Division

Onion root tip: In order to study mitosis it is obviously necessary to obtain tissues that contain
FHOOVWKDWDUHDFWLYHO\GLYLGLQJ&HUWDLQWLVVXHVRISODQWVDUHFRQVWDQWO\GLYLGLQJWRIRUPQHZ
FHOOV2QHVXFKWLVVXHLVWKHURRWWLSZKRVHUHJLRQRIPLWRVLVRUFHOOGLYLVLRQFRQWDLQVFHOOV
ZKRVHVROHSXUSRVHLVWRGLYLGH<RXZLOOH[DPLQHWKHRQLRQURRWWLSLQODE7KHVHmeristematic
FHOOVDUHQRWLQV\QFKURQ\LHWKH\DUHQRWDOODWWKHVDPHVWDJHRIPLWRVLVDWWKHVDPHWLPH
7KHSUHSDUHGVOLGHVFRQWDLQORQJLWXGLQDOVHFWLRQVRIWKHURRWWLSZKLFKKDYHEHHQFKHPLFDOO\
¿[HGDQGVWDLQHGIRUQXFOHLFDFLG7KLVWUHDWPHQWKDV³IUR]HQ´HDFKFHOODWZKDWHYHUSRLQWLWKDG
reached at the time of preparation. Each cell can be considered to be a single frame of a motion
picture. By properly placing the frames in sequence, you can visualize the entire process as a
FRQWLQXRXVHYHQW2QWKH5HSRUWSDJHVPDNHDdrawing of each phase of mitosis and interphase
IURPWKHRQLRQURRWWLSVOLGHQRWLQJWKHVSHFL¿Fcharacteristic events listed for each phase.
:KHQ\RXKDYHFRPSOHWHGWKHGUDZLQJVDQVZHUWKHTXHVWLRQVDWWKHHQGRIWKH5HSRUWSDJHV

B. Animal Mitotic Cell Division

:KLWH¿VKEODVWXOD: The blastula is an early stage in the embryonic development of multicellular

animals. Since an embryoLVFRPSRVHGRIUDSLGO\GLYLGLQJFHOOVDVHFWLRQWKURXJKLWZLOO
SURYLGHFHOOVLQFURVVWDQJHQWLDODQGORQJLWXGLQDOVHFWLRQYLHZV2QWKH5HSRUWSDJHVPDNHD
drawing of each phaseRIPLWRVLVDQGLQWHUSKDVHIURPWKHZKLWH¿VKVOLGHQRWLQJWKHVSHFL¿F
characteristic eventsOLVWHGIRUHDFKSKDVH$IWHU\RXKDYH¿QLVKHGWKHGUDZLQJVDQVZHUWKH
TXHVWLRQVDWWKHHQGRIWKH5HSRUWSDJHV

88
 The Cell Cycle

REPORT PAGES
Name______________________
Simon Loewenstein

Lab Section_________________

A. Plant Mitosis: Interphase

Onion Root Tip

Events:

Prophase Metaphase

Events: Events:

Anaphase Telophase

Events: Events:

89
Lab Exercise 10

B. Animal Mitosis: Interphase

:KLWH¿VK%ODVWXOD

Events:

Prophase Metaphase

Events: Events:

Anaphase Telophase

Events: Events:

90
 The Cell Cycle

Questions:
interphase
 :KHQLQWKHFHOOF\FOHDUHWKHFKURPRVRPHVDFWXDOO\UHSOLFDWHG"

 'LVWLQJXLVKEHWZHHQPLWRVLVDQGF\WRNLQHVLV:KDWDUHWKHUHVXOWVRIHDFK"

Mitosis is the multi-phase process in which the nucleus of

a eukaryotic cell divides. Cytokinesis is the final stage of
cell division in eukaryotes as well as prokaryotes. During
cytokinesis, the cytoplasm splits in two and the cell
divides.The result of mitosis is two identical daughter
cells, genetically identical to the original cell, all having 2N
chromosomes. During cytokinesis, the cytoplasm of the
 :KDWLVWKHJHQHWLFVLJQL¿FDQFHRIPLWRVLVLHKRZGRWKHGDXJKWHUFHOOVFRPSDUHWRWKH
cell is divided in half, and the cell membrane grows to
RULJLQDOSDUHQWFHOOLQWKHLUJHQHWLFPDNHXS"
enclose each cell, forming two separate cells as a result.
Mitosis is a way of making more cells that are genetically the
same as the parent cell. It plays an important part in the
development of embryos, and it is important for the growth and
development of our bodies as well. Mitosis produces new cells,
and replaces cells that are old, lost or damaged.

 :KDWVHHPVWREHWKHIXQFWLRQRIWKHVSLQGOH¿EHUV"
Spindle fibers form a protein structure that divides the genetic
material in a cell. The spindle is necessary to equally divide the
chromosomes in a parental cell into two daughter cells during both
types of nuclear division: mitosis and meiosis. During mitosis, the
spindle fibers are called the mitotic spindle.

 +RZGRHVF\WRNLQHVLVGL൵HULQDQLPDODQGSODQWFHOOV"

Cytokinesis occurs in mitosis and meiosis for both plant and

animal cells. The ultimate objective is to divide the parent cell
into daughter cells. In plants , this occurs when a cell wall
forms in between the daughter cells. In animals , this occurs
when a cleavage furrow forms.

 :KDWLPSRUWDQWELRORJLFDOFKDUDFWHULVWLFVRIOLIHGHSHQGRQPLWRWLFFHOOGLYLVLRQ"

Genetic stability- Mitosis helps in the splitting of chromosomes

during cell division and generates two new daughter cells

91