BIO152 Lab 3 Cell cycle, mitosis and meiosis vocabulary

Term

Definition

Allele

Any of the alternate versions of a gene that may produce

distinguishable phenotypic effects

Anaphase

The third stage of mitosis, beginning when the centromeres of

duplicated chromosomes divide and sister chromatids separate
from each other, and ending when a complete set of daughter
chromosomes are located at each of the two poles of the cell

Asexual

The creation of offspring by a single parent, without the

reproduction

participation of sperm and egg

Aster

A radial array of short microtubules that extends from each

centrosome toward the plasma membrane in an animal cell
undergoing mitosis

Autosomes

A chromosome not directly involved in determining the sex of an

organism

Benign tumour

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 tumours origin

Binary fission

A means of asexual reproduction in which a parent divides any

two individuals of about equal size

Cancer Cells

Cells that grow and divide at an unregulated, quickened pace

Cell cycle

An orderly sequence of events (including interphase and the

mitotic phase) from the time a eukaryotic cell divides to form two
daughter cells to the time those daughter cells divide again

Cell Cycle Control

A cyclically operating set of molecules in the eukaryotic cell that

System

both triggers and coordinates key events in the cell cycle

Cell division

The reproduction of cells

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

BIO152 Lab 3 Cell cycle, mitosis and meiosis vocabulary

Centrioles

A structure in the centrosome of an animal cell composed of a

cylinder of microtubule triplets arranged in a 9 + 0 pattern. A
centrosome has two centrioles.

Centromere

The region of a chromosome where two sister chromatids are

joined and where spindle microtubules attach to the
chromosome during mitosis and meiosis. The centromere
divides at the onset of anaphase during mitosis and anaphase II
of meiosis

Centrosome

A structure present in the cytoplasm of animal cells that

functions as a microtubule organizing centre and is important
during cell division. A centrosome has two centrioles.

Checkpoint

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

Chiasma

The X-shaped microscopically visible region where crossing

over has occurred earlier in Prophase I between homologous
nonsister chromatids. Chiasmata become visible after synapsis
ends, with the two homologues remaining associated due to
sister chromatid cohesion

Chromatin

Diffuse, very long, coiled fibers of DNA with proteins attached,

the form taken by the chromosomes when a eukaryotic cell is
not dividing

Chromosomes

A threadlike, gene-carrying structure found in the nucleus of all

eukaryotic cells and most visible during mitosis and meiosis.
Chromosomes consist of DNA and protein

Cleavage furrow

The first sign of cytokinesis during cell division in an animal cell;

a shallow groove in the cell surface near the old metaphase
plate

Crossing over

The reciprocal exchange of genetic material between nonsister

chromatids during Prophase I of meiosis

BIO152 Lab 3 Cell cycle, mitosis and meiosis vocabulary

Cytokinesis

The division of the cytoplasm to form two separate daughter

cells. Cytokinesis usually occurs together with telophase of
mitosis, and the two processes make up the mitotic (M) phase of
the cell cycle

Diploid cells

In an organism that reproduces sexually, a cell containing two

homologous sets of chromosomes, one set inherited from each
parent

Fertilization

The union of haploid gametes to form a diploid zygote

G0 Phase

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

G1 Checkpoint

Checkpoint in the cell cycle where if a cell is given the goahead signal it then usually completes G1, S, G2, and M phases
and divides. If it does not receive the go-ahead signal it will exit
the cycle and switch into a nondividing state called G0 Phase.

G1 Phase

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

G2 Phase

The second gap, or growth phase, of the cell cycle, consisting of

interphase after DNA synthesis occurs

Gametes

A sex cell; a haploid egg or sperm

Genetic

General term for the production of offspring with combinations of

Recombination

traits that differ from those found in either parent by crossing

over of chromosomes

Genetic variation

Differences among individuals in the composition of their genes

or other DNA segments

Genome

A complete (haploid) set of an organism's genes; an organism's

genetic material

Growth factor

A protein released by certain cells that stimulates other cells to

divide

Haploid cell

In the life cycle of an organism that reproduces sexually. a cell

containing a single set of chromosomes
3

BIO152 Lab 3 Cell cycle, mitosis and meiosis vocabulary

Heredity

The transmission of traits from one generation to the next

Histone

A small protein with a high proportion of positively charged

amino acids that binds to the negatively charged DNA and plays
a key role in chromatin structure

Homologous

The two chromosomes that make up a matched pair in a diploid

chromosomes

cell. Homologous chromosomes are of the same length,

centromere position, and staining pattern and possess genes or
the same characteristics at corresponding loci. One homologous
chromosome is inherited from the organisms father, the other
from the mother

Independent

Mendel's law that states that allele pairs separate independently

Assortment

during the formation of gametes. Therefore, traits are

transmitted to offspring independently of one another.

Interphase

The period in the eukaryotic cell cycle when the cell is not
actually dividing

karyotype

A display of the chromosome pairs of a cell arranged by size

and shape

Kinetochore

A structure of proteins attached to the centromere that links

each sister chromatid to the mitotic spindle

Life cycle

The entire sequence of stages in the life of an organism, from

the adults of one generation to the adults of the next

Locus

The particular site where a gene is found on a chromosome.

Homologous chromosomes have corresponding loci

M Phase

Portion of the cell cycle that includes both mitosis and

cytokinesis

M Phase

Where the separation of sister chromatids does not begin until

Checkpoint

all the chromosomes are properly attached to the spindle at the

metaphase plate.

BIO152 Lab 3 Cell cycle, mitosis and meiosis vocabulary

Malignant tumour

A cancerous tumour containing cells that have significant

genetic and cellular changes and are capable of invading and
surviving in new sites

Meiosis

In a sexually reproducing organism, the division of a single

diploid nucleus into four haploid daughter nuclei. Meiosis and
cytokinesis produce haploid gametes from diploid cells in the
reproductive organs of the parents

Metaphase

The second phase of mitosis. During metaphase, all the cell's

duplicated chromosomes are lined up at an imaginary plane
equidistant between the poles of the mitotic spindle

Microtubule

A specialized place in the cell where microtubules of the mitotic

organizing center

spindle begin to form

(MTOC)
Mitosis

The division of a single nucleus into two genetically identical

daughter nuclei. Mitosis and cytokinesis make up the mitotic (M)
phase of the cell cycle

Mitotic spindle

A spindle-shaped structure formed of microtubules and

associated proteins that is involved in the movements of
chromosomes during mitosis and meiosis

Nondisjunction

An error in mitosis or meiosis in which members of a pair of

homologous chromosomes or a pair of sister chromatids fail to
separate properly from each other

Nucleolus

Structure in the nucleus consisting of chromosomal regions

containing rRNA genes along with ribosomal proteins imported
from the cytoplasm; site of rRNA synthesis and ribosomal
subunit assembly

Nucleus

The organelle of a eukaryotic cell that contains the genetic

material in the form of chromosomes made of chromatin

Oncogene

A gene found in viral or cellular genomes that is involved in

triggering molecular events that can lead to cancer

BIO152 Lab 3 Cell cycle, mitosis and meiosis vocabulary

p53

Specific transcription factor that promotes the synthesis of cell

cycle-inhibiting proteins

Prophase

The first stage of mitosis, during which duplicated chromosomes

condense from chromatin, and the mitotic spindle forms and
begins moving the chromosomes toward the center of the cell

Proto-oncogene

A normal cellular gene that has the potential to become an

oncogene

Recombinant

A chromosome created when crossing over combines DNA from

Chromosome

two parents into a single chromosome

S Phase

The synthesis phase of the cell cycle; the portion of interphase

during which DNA is replicated

Sex chromosomes

A chromosome that determines whether an individual is male or

female

Sexual

The creation of offspring by the fusion of two haploid sex cells

reproduction

(gametes) forming a diploid zygote

Sister chromatids

One of the two identical parts of a duplicated chromosome in a

eukaryotic cell. Consisting of copies of a long, coiled DNA
molecule with associated proteins, sister chromatids are jointed
at the centromere of the chromosome.

Somatic cells

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

a cell that develops into a sperm or egg

Telophase

The fourth and final stage of mitosis, during which daughter

nuclei form at the two poles of a cell. Telophase usually occurs
together with cytokinesis

Tetrad

A four-part structure that forms during prophase of meiosis and

consists of two homologous chromosomes, each composed of
two sister chromatids

Zygote

The diploid cell produced by the union of haploid gametes during

fertilization; a fertilized egg