Grade 10 Mitosis & Cancer Lecture Notes 2025

A set of

What tissues in plants primarily undergo mitosis?

Meristematic tissues

Are centrioles involved in spindle formation in plant cells?

No; plant cells form spindles without centrioles

During cytokinesis in plant cells, what structure forms to separate the daughter cells?

A cell plate that becomes the new cell wall

Where can mitosis occur in animal bodies?

In all somatic (body) parts except reproductive cells

What organelles assist spindle formation in animal cells?

Centrioles

What structure facilitates cytokinesis in animal cells?

A cleavage furrow created by an actin contractile ring

List the correct sequence of the phases of mitosis.

Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase, followed by Cytokinesis (Interphase precedes mitosis)

Why is mitosis essential for growth?

It allows a single fertilized egg to produce the many cells of a mature organism, increasing size

How does mitosis contribute to tissue repair?

By replacing worn-out or damaged cells with genetically identical new ones

Which type of reproduction relies on mitosis to produce genetically identical offspring?

Asexual reproduction

Give three organisms that reproduce asexually via mitosis.

Bacteria, fungi, amoeba (and some plants and animals)

Define cancer.

A group of diseases involving uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells that can invade and spread

What term describes the spread of cancer cells to distant body parts?

Metastasis

How do cancer cells differ from normal cells regarding growth signals?

They grow and divide without external chemical signals and ignore stop signals

What is apoptosis and how do cancer cells relate to it?

Programmed cell death; cancer cells resist it

How can cancer cells evade the immune system?

By hiding from immune detection or manipulating immune cells to support their growth

What causes the genetic instability seen in cancer cells?

Accumulation of multiple mutations in their DNA

Describe the typical nucleus of a cancer cell compared to a normal cell.

Cancer cell nuclei are often enlarged and irregularly shaped

What is a tumour?

A mass of tissue formed by uncontrolled cell division

Differentiate benign and malignant tumours.

Benign tumours stay localized and grow slowly; malignant tumours invade tissues and can spread

What is angiogenesis in the context of cancer?

Formation of new blood vessels to supply a tumour with nutrients

What two processes make a tumour malignant?

Invasion of healthy tissue and angiogenesis enabling growth

Why is metastasis clinically significant?

It produces secondary tumours, making cancer harder to treat

Name five common cancers listed in the notes.

Breast, lung, oesophageal, leukaemia, and melanoma

During animal cytokinesis, what protein forms the contractile ring?

Actin

What term describes the non-dividing stage before mitosis where DNA is replicated?

Interphase

In which phase of mitosis do chromosomes align at the cell equator?

Metaphase

At what phase do sister chromatids separate and move to opposite poles?

Anaphase

When do nuclear envelopes reform around separated chromosomes?

Telophase

What structure forms the spindle apparatus in both plant and animal cells?

Microtubules