Cell division

Binary fission

a kind of asexual reproduction found in prokaryotic cells

SMC proteins

circular DNA is looped around these as the first level of compaction in binary fission

supercoils

the highest level of compaction in both prokaryotes (2nd level) and eukaryotes (3rd level)

origin of replication

Where DNA replication begins in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic DNA

Site of termination

Where DNA replication ends in prokaryotic DNA but not eukaryotic

Septation

when DNA loops are attached to opposite ends of the cell membrane and the cells begins to divide in two

FtsZ proteins

largely inactive proteins that form a ring that shrinks and divides the cell in two

Z-ring

the ring formed by FtsZ proteins and pinches a cell in two in binary fission

chromosome

large molecule of DNA that contain a particular set of genes

chromatid

a singular metric of chromosomes

centromere

compacted section of chromatid/chromosome

S phase

the second section of cell cycle where chromatids are duplicated and become two-chromatid chromosomes

sister chromatids

exact copies of chromatids

cohesin proteins

proteins that bind chromatids at the centromere

kinetochore proteins

bind to the outer surface of centromere and connect microtubules

kinetochore microtubules

connect to proteins and then centromere, later responsible for separating chromatids

telomeres

repetitive sequences of DNA that protect ends of chromosomes by being a sacrificial shield, when becomes too short, cell no longer divides

telomerase

the protein responsible for maintaining telomeres and are only found in stem cells or during embryonic development

oncogenesis

the process by which cells become cancerous (often reactivating telomerase)

dyskeratosis congenita

a condition where telomerase is under-active, preventing stem cell function

Histone proteins

positively charged protein that interacts with DNA to form nucleosomes

chromatin

The genomic DNA that interacts with histones and possibly other proteins

nucleosomes

basic unit of chromatin that has 147 base pairs to 8 histone proteins

solenoid

second level of DNA compaction where nucleosomes are associating with each other to create a fiber-like strand

G1

the first phase of the cell cycle in which the cells is preparing for possible DNA synthesis

G2

second gap phase and third phase overall in which DNA is prepared for segregation

M Phase

Mitosis, DNA segregates

Cytokinesis

Cytoplasm division, fifth and final phase of cell cycle

G0

a cells non-dividing state considered outside of cell cycle