AP BIO Chapter 9 Vocab

cell division

The reproduction of cells

cell cycle

An ordered sequence of events in the life of a cell, from its origin in the division of a parent cell until its own division into two.

genome

The genetic material of an organism or virus; the complete complement of an organism's or virus's genes along with its noncoding nucleic acid sequences.

chromosomes

a cellular structure consisting of one DNA molecule and associated protein molecules

chromatin

The complex of DNA and proteins that makes up eukaryotic chromosomes.

somatic cell

Any cell in a multicellular organism except a sperm or egg cell.

gametes

a haploid reproductive cell, such as egg/sperm

sister chromatids

Two copies of a duplicated chromosome attached to each other by proteins at the centromere and sometimes, along the arms.

centromere

in a duplicated chromosome, the region on each sister chromatid where they are most closely attached to each other by proteins that bind to specific DNA sequences

mitosis

A process of nuclear division in eukaryotic cells conventionally divided into five stages: prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. Mitosis conserves chromosome number by equally allocating replicated chromosomes to each of the daughter nuclei.

cytokinesis

division of the cytoplasm to form two separate daughter cells immediately after mitosis, meiosis or meiosis 2

mitotic M phase

The phase of the cell cycle that includes mitosis and cytokinesis.

interphase

period of the cell cycle where the cell is not dividing / it grows

G1 phase

The first gap, or growth phase, of the cell cycle, consisting of the portion of interphase before DNA synthesis begins.

S Phase

The synthesis phase of the cell cycle; the portion of interphase during which DNA is replicated.

G2 Phase

The second gap, or growth phase, of the cell cycle, consisting of the portion of interphase after DNA synthesis occurs.

mitotic spindle

An assemblage of microtubules and associated proteins that is involved in the movements of chromosomes during mitosis.

centrosome

A structure present in the cytoplasm of animal cells that functions as a microtubule-organizing center and is important during cell division. A centrosome has two centrioles.

aster

A radial array of short microtubules that extends from each centrosome toward the plasma membrane in an animal cell undergoing mitosis.

kinetochore

A structure of proteins attached to the centromere that links each sister chromatid to the mitotic spindle.

metaphase plate

An imaginary structure located at a plane midway between the two poles of a cell in metaphase on which the centromeres of all the duplicated chromosomes are located.

cleavage furrow

The first sign of cleavage in an animal cell; a shallow groove in the cell surface near the old metaphase plate.

cell plate

A membrane-bounded, flattened sac located at the midline of a dividing plant cell, inside which the new cell wall forms during cytokinesis.

binary fission

A method of asexual reproduction by "division in half." In prokaryotes, binary fission does not involve mitosis, but in single-celled eukaryotes that undergo binary fission, mitosis is part of the process.

cell cycle control system

A cyclically operating set of molecules in the eukaryotic cell that both triggers and coordinates key events in the cell cycle.

checkpoint

A control point in the cell cycle where stop and go-ahead signals can regulate the cycle.

G0 Phase

A nondividing state occupied by cells that have left the cell cycle, sometimes reversibly.

growth factor

A protein that must be present in the extracellular environment for the growth and normal development of certain types of cells.

density-dependent inhibition

crowded cells stop dividing

anchorage dependence

The requirement that a cell must be attached to a substratum in order to initiate cell division.

transformation

the conversion of a normal animal cell to a cancerous cell

benign tumor

A mass of abnormal cells with specific genetic and cellular changes such that the cells are not capable of surviving at a new site and generally remain at the site of the tumor's origin.

malignant tumor

A cancerous tumor containing cells that have significant genetic and cellular changes and are capable of invading and surviving in new sites. Malignant tumors can impair the functions of one or more organs.

metastasis

The spread of cancer cells to locations distant from their original site.