cell division and growth

cell differentiation

the process by which a cell changes to become specialized for its job

cell division

by mitosis

cell elongation

plant cell expands, making the cell bigger and so making the plant grow

describe when and at what paces animals and plants grow and divide and differentiate

• animals grow when theyre young until they reach full growth and stop growing

• for animals, cell division is faster when youre young but once an adult cell division is for repair

• differentiation in animals is lost at young age

• in plants growth in height is mainly due to cell elongation

• cell division usually happens in the tips of the roots and shoots

• plants grow continuously and continue to differentiate

what is a mutation

a random change in a gene

what is the rate at which cells divide (by mitois) controlled by?

the chemical instructions in an organisms dna / or the genes in an organisms dna

what happens if a mutation occurs in a gene that controls cell division and what does this lead to?

the cell might start dividing uncontrollably which can result in a mass of abnormal cells called a tumor

what is cancer?

tumour invading and destroying surrounding tissue

what are percentile/growth charts?

graph that are used to monitor/asses growth over time

what is the benefit of growth chart?

an overall pattern of a childs development can be seen and any problems may be highligted e.g (obesity, malnutrition, dwarfism)

what measurements are taken from a child to ensure they’re growing normally?

length, mass and head circumference