Unit 2 Mitosis and Binary Fission

Binary fission

Asexual reproduction in single-celled organisms (prokaryotes) by which one cell divides into two identical cells of the same size

Parent cell

Original cell before cell division occurs

daughter cells

the two new cells that result from mitosis and cytokinesis

somatic cell

any cell of a living organism other than the reproductive cells.

germ line cells

the cellular lineage of a sexually reproducing organism from which eggs and sperm are derived

Interphase (Mitosis)

Longest phase of the cell cycle in which entire DNA genome is replicated before mitosis

Mitosis

division of the nucleus in eukaryotic somatic cells

Cytokinesis

division of the cytoplasm in any type of cell division

Prophase (Mitosis)

Chromatids become visible, nuclear envelope breaks down, centrioles produce microtubule spindle and move towards the poles

Metaphase (Mitosis)

Chromosomes line up at the equator along the metaphase plate and attach to the spindle fibres via their centromeres

Anaphase (Mitosis)

Spindle fibres contract and pull each sister chromatid apart so one moves towards one pole and the other moves towards the other pole

Telophase

Nuclear envelope reforms around the set of chromosomes at each pole. Furrow starts to form in the cytoplasm. Mitotic spindle starts to break down.

Mitotic spindle

a structure made of microtubules that controls chromosome movement during mitosis

Cleavage furrow

The area of the cell membrane that pinches in and eventually separates the dividing cell during cytokinesis