Name:____________________

Date:_________ Hour:______

Time for the Cell Cycle

The phases of mitosis take different amounts of time to complete since some of them consist
of more involved processes that take longer. Today you will determine how long interphase and each
phase of mitosis takes to complete. You will do this by counting the number of cells in each phase
over a 24 hour period. The phases that have the most cells take the longest, and the phases with the
fewest number of cells take the shortest amount of time. You will calculate the time each phase takes
to complete using the number of cells you counted in each phase.

Objectives:
1) You will count the number of cells in each stage of mitosis.
2) You will calculate the amount of time it takes it complete each stage of mitosis.

Instructions:
1) Count and record in Table 1 the number of cells in each mitotic phase and interphase. Count
all of the cells in the field of view.
2) Move the slide so you are looking at a new area of cells.
3) Count and record the number of cells in each mitotic phase and interphase for this second
area.
4) Repeat for a third new area.
5) Total the number of cells counted in each phase for the three areas. Record this in the column
marked Total Number of Cells in Each Phase of Table 1 below.
6) Calculate the time for each stage by multiplying the percent of cells in that phase by the
number of minutes for the whole cycle.

Table 1: Results of counting cells in each phase of mitosis and interphase.

Total # of Percentage of
Phase First Area Second Area Third Area cells in each Time (min) cells in each
phase stage

Interphase

Prophase

Metaphase

Anaphase

Telophase

Total #
 Name:____________________
Date:_________ Hour:______
Using your data from Table 1 and the outline below, prepare a circle graph which shows the number
of minutes that cells spend in each phase of the cell cycle.
a. Graph your data using the Time (Min) column from Table 1.
b. The circle is divided into 18 minute sections. Each section of the graph equals approximately
18 minutes. If a phase is not exactly 18 minutes or a multiple of 18, approximate the position of
the line on the graph.
c. Shade each phase of your graph with colored pencils and label your key accordingly.
d. Label where G1, S, and G2 would occur.
e. Outline and label the phases that are a part of mitosis in black permanent marker and label the
area Mitosis.

Title:__________________________________________