Hoefnagels_Essentials4e_ch08_lecturePPT_Accessible

Cell Division

The process by which a parent cell divides into two or more daughter cells, enabling reproduction and growth in living organisms.

Mitosis

A type of cell division that results in two daughter cells, each with the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell.

Meiosis

A form of cell division that produces four daughter cells, each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell, used in sexual reproduction.

Zygote

A fertilized egg that results from the fusion of two gametes, which then divides by mitosis to develop into an organism.

Gametes

Sex cells (sperm and egg) produced through meiosis, containing half the DNA of somatic cells.

Binary Fission

A form of asexual reproduction in prokaryotes where the cell divides into two approximately equal parts, replicating its DNA in the process.

Apoptosis

The process of programmed cell death that plays a critical role in development and homeostasis.

Chromatin

The complex of DNA and proteins that forms chromosomes within the cell nucleus, which is loosely packed when the cell is not dividing.

Chromosome

A tightly coiled structure composed of DNA and proteins that contains genetic information; visible during cell division.

Cytokinesis

The process of cell division that separates the cytoplasm of a parental cell into two daughter cells following mitosis.

ATP

A molecule that provides energy for cellular processes, including those involved in DNA replication.

Interphase

The stage of the cell cycle when the cell is not actively dividing and performs its normal functions, including growth and DNA replication.

Spindle Fibers

Structures made of microtubules that help segregate chromosomes during cell division.

Cleavage Furrow

An indentation that forms at the middle of an animal cell during cytokinesis that helps separate the two daughter cells.

Cell Plate

A structure that forms in plant cells during cytokinesis, leading to the separation of daughter cells.

Tumor

An abnormal mass of tissue that forms when cells divide uncontrollably; can be benign or malignant.

Cancer

A disease characterized by the uncontrolled division of abnormal cells, leading to tumors and potential metastasis.

Checkpoint

Regulatory mechanisms in the cell cycle that ensure proper cell division and DNA integrity.

Semiconservative Replication

A method of DNA replication where each daughter DNA molecule consists of one parental strand and one newly synthesized strand.

DNA Polymerase

An enzyme involved in synthesizing new DNA strands by adding nucleotides in a complementary fashion to the template strand.

Helicase

An enzyme that unwinds the DNA double helix during replication, allowing the strands to separate.

Ligase

An enzyme that joins short strands of DNA into a single, continuous strand during replication.