Lab Three: Mitosis and Meiosis
Introduction
There are two types of nuclear division, mitosis and meiosis. Mitosis is usually used for the growth and replacementof somatic cells, while meiosis produces the gametes or spores used in an organism’s reproduction.Mitosis is the first of these studied in this lab. It is easily observed in cells that are growing at a rapid pace such aswhitefish blastula or onion root tips, which are used in this lab. The root tips contain an area called the apicalmeristem that has the highest percentage of cells undergoing mitosis. The whitefish blastula is formed directly after the egg is fertilized. This is a period of rapid growth and numerous cellular divisions where mitosis can be observed.Just before mitosis the cell is in interphase. In this part of the cell cycle the cell will have a distinct nucleus andnucleoli where the thin threads of chromatin are duplicated. After duplication the cell is ready to begin mitosis andits starts with a step called prophase. In prophase, the chromatin thicken into distinct chromosomes and the nuclear envelope breaks open releasing them into the cytoplasm. The first signs of the spindle begin to appear. Next the cell begins metaphase, where the spindle attaches to the centromere of each chromosome and moves them to the samelevel in the middle of the cell. This level position is called the metaphase plate. Anaphase begins when thechromatids are separated and pulled to opposite poles. Then, the final stage is telophase. The nuclear envelope isreformed and the chromosomes gradually uncoil. Cytokinesis may occur, in which case, a cleavage furrow will formand the two daughter cells will separate.Meiosis is more complex and involves two nuclear divisions. The two divisions are called Meiosis I and Meiosis IIand they result in the production of four haploid gametes. This process allows increased genetic variation due tocrossing over where genes can be exchanged. The process, like mitosis, depends on interphase to replicate the DNA.Meiosis begins with Prophase I. In this stage, homologous chromosomes move together to form a tetrad andsynapsis begins. This is where crossing over occurs resulting in the recombination of genes. Metaphase I moves thetetrads to the metaphase plate in the middle of the cell, and Anaphase I reduces the tetrads to their original twostranded form and moves them to opposite poles. Telophase I then prepares the cell for its second division. MeiosisII generally resembles mitosis except that the daughter cells are haploid instead of diploid. DNA replication does notoccur in Interphase II, and prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase occur as usual. The only change is thenumber of chromosomes.The process of crossing over can be easily studied in
Sordaria fimicola
, an ascomycete fungus.
Sordaria
form a setof eight ascospores called an ascus. They are contained in a perithecium until they are mature and ready for release.Crossing over can be observed in the arrangement and color of these asci. If an ascus has four tan ascospores in arow and four black ascospores in a row (4:4 arrangement), then no crossing over had taken place. However, if theasci has black and tan ascospores in sets of two (2:2:2:2 arrangement) or two pairs of black ascospores and four tanascospores in the middle (2:4:2 arrangement), then crossing over had taken place.
Hypothesis
Mitosis occurs in whitefish blastula and onion root tip, and it is easily observable. Meiosis and crossing over occursin the production of gametes and spores.
Materials
This lab requires prepared slides of whitefish blastula, onion root tips, and Sordaria, pencil, paper, a lightmicroscope, and a chromosome simulation kit.
Methods
Exercise 3A.1: Observing Mitosis
Prepared slides of whitefish blastula and onion root tips were observed under the 10X and 40X objectives. A cell ineach stage of mitosis were identified, and then sketched.
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