Cell Cycle Vocab

The cell cycle

The process of the cell growing and dividing, broken down into 3 stages

Interphase

1st stage of the cell cycle; the cell grows, copies its DNA, and prepares for mitosis

G1/Gap 1

1st stage of interphase; the cell grows, organelles are made, and the cell prepares to replicate DNA

S/Synthesis

2nd stage of interphase; chromatin coils up into chromosomes, which are replicated

Sister chromatids

Identical halves of replicated chromosomes

Centromere

Where sister chromatids are attached

G2/Gap 2

3rd stage of interphase; the cell produces required organelles for mitosis and makes sure it is ready to continue to mitosis

Mitosis

2nd stage of the cell cycle; the cell separates its replicated DNA and starts to divide

Prophase

1st stage of mitosis; centrioles move to opposite sides of the cell, spindle begins to form, chromatin condenses into chromosomes, and the nuclear envelope breaks down

Spindle

A slender mass of microtubules formed when a cell divides

Nuclear envelope

A membrane that separates the membrane from the nucleus in eukaryotic cells

Metaphase

2nd stage of mitosis; chromosomes line up across the middle of the cell and spindle attaches to the centromere of each chromosome

Anaphase

3rd stage of mitosis; sister chromatids are pulled apart by spindle, which begins to shorten, and the chromosomes continue to separate until they have moved to the opposite poles

Telophase

4th stage of mitosis; chromosomes gather at opposite ends of the cell and form 2 groups, the chromosomes unravel back into chromatin, a new nuclear envelope forms around each group of chromosomes and spindle breaks apart and goes away

Cytokinesis

3rd stage of the cell cycle; the cytoplasm pinches in half, forming 2 new, identical cells

Daughter cells

The result of cytokinesis; identical to each other and the parent cell

Cleavage

How cytokinesis occurs in animal cells

Cleavage furrow

A shallow groove in the cell surface

Cell plate

A structure in plant cells that eventually becomes the cell wall

M phase/mitotic phase

Mitosis + cytokinesis

Binary fission

The process in which prokaryotic cells asexually reproduce

Anchorage dependence

In order for a cell to divide, it must be in contact with a solid surface

Density-dependent inhibition

Crowded cells stop dividing

Growth factors

Proteins responsible for inhibiting cell division

Checkpoints

Critical control points where stop and go signals can regulate the cycle

G0 phase

The non-dividing state outside the cell cycle cells enter if they don't receive a go signal at the G1 checkpoint

Cancer

A disease in which abnormal cells grow and divide uncontrollably, damaging the body parts around them

Tumors

Masses of abnormal cells

Benign tumor

A mass of abnormal cells that remains at the original site

Malignant tumor

A tumor that spreads into neighboring tissues and other parts of the body, displacing normal tissue and interrupting organ functions

Metastasis

When tumor cells enter the blood and spread via the circulatory system

Carcinomas

Cancers that originate in the external or internal coverings of the body

Sarcomas

Cancers that originate in tissues that support the body

Leukemia & lymphoma

Cancers that originate in blood-forming tissues

High-energy radiation

A type of drug-free cancer treatment

Chemotherapy

The administration of drugs that disrupt specific steps in the cell cycle

Paclitaxel

A chemotherapy drug that "freezes" the spindle, which stops dividing cells from going past metaphase

Vinblastin

A chemotherapy drug that prevents spindle from forming in the first place

Apoptosis

Programmed cell death

Genes

The segments of DNA on chromosomes

Homologous chromosomes

The chromosomes that make up a pair

Karyotype

A picture of all the chromosomes in a cell

Autosomes

The first 22 pairs of chromosomes in a karyotype

Sex chromosomes

The last pair of chromosomes in a karyotype

Meiosis

The creation of gametes

Gametes

Sex cells

Haploid cells

Cells with a single set of chromosomes

N

The symbol used to represent the number of chromosomes in a haploid cell

Fertilization

The process of an egg cell combining with a sperm cell

Diploid cell

A cell with both sets of homologous chromosomes

Somatic cells

Body cells

2N

The symbol used to represent the number of chromosomes in a diploid cell

Zygote

The cell that forms from fertilization

Embryo

The result of zygote after mitosis

Fetus

The result of an embryo after mitosis

Baby

The result of a baby after mitosis

Mitosis I

Homologous chromosomes are pulled to opposite ends of the cell

Prophase I

Synapsis and crossing over occur

Synapsis

The formation of tetrads

Tetrads

Pairs of homologous chromosomes

Crossing over

The exchange of portions of chromatids between chromosomes in a tetrad

Metaphase I

Pairs of homologous chromosomes line up in the middle of the cell

Anaphase I

Homologous chromosomes are pulled apart to opposite ends by spindles

Telophase I & Cytokinesis

2 new, unique cells are formed

Meiosis II

Sister chromatids are pulled to opposite ends of the cell

Prophase II

Meiosis II begins

Metaphase II

Chromosomes line up across the middle of the cell

Anaphase II

Sister chromatids get pulled apart to opposite ends of the cell by spindle

Telophase II & Cytokinesis

4 unique, haploid daughter cells are formed

Sperm

The gametes formed by meiosis in those assigned male at birth

Egg cells

The gametes formed by meiosis in those assigned female at birth

Polar bodies

The 3 cells that are not egg cells formed in each round of meiosis in those assigned female at birth