1.

6 Cell division

Cell division

The role of mitosis

Mitosis is division of the nucleus into 2 genetically identical daughter cell.
- DNA replicates during interphase
- The cytoplasm then splits, both daughter cell have one set of DNA each

Interphase
Interphase is a very active phase of the cell cycle with many processes occurring in the nucleus
and cytoplasm.
- G1: Mitochondria grow and divide. Similarly
chloroplasts also grow and divide.

- S: DNA replication
- G2: further growth occurs in prepare for mitosis
- G0: enter by cells that do not undergo mitosis, like
nerve cells. The G0 phase comes after G1, as cells that
do not undergo mitosis do not need to replicate DNA.

Supercoiling of chromosomes
Chromosomes condense by supercoiling during mitosis.

- Need to package them into shorter structures

- Occurs during the 1st stage of mitosis
- Histones are associated w/ DNA in eukaryote chromosomes and help w/ supercoiling,
enzymes also involved

Phases of mitosis
Identification of phases of mitosis in cells viewed with a microscope.

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- P: Chromosomes condense. Nucleolus breaks down. Microtubules grow and link the poles of
the cell. Nuclear envelope disintegrates.

- M: Microtubules attach to the centromere of each chromosome. Attach onto opposite ends of
the centromere to ensure that each chromatid is attached to a microtubule from a different
pole. The chromosomes are then aligned along the cell equator. Microtubules pull slightly w/
equal force to ensure proper attachment has occurred.

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- A: Microtubules shorten after chromosomes divide at the centromere, quickly pulling sister
chromatids to opposite sides.

- T: At each pole the chromosomes are pulled near the MTOC(MicroTubule Organizing
Centre) and a nuclear membrane reforms around them. Chromosomes uncoil and nucleolus is
reformed.

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The mitotic index

Determination of a mitotic index from a micrograph.

Cytokinesis
Cytokinesis occurs after mitosis and is different in plant and animal cells.
- Animal
• Cleavage furrow forms at the equator due to contractile proteins actin + myosin
• Cleavage furrow reaches the centre
• The cell is pinched apart into 2 daughter cells
- Plant
• Vesicles line up at the equator and merge to form a continuous tubular structure which acts
as the plasma membrane

• Vesicles carrying pectin then move towards the plasma membrane and release the pectin b/t
the 2 plasma membranes of the 2 cells to form the lamella, which would bind the cellulose
for the cell wall

• The vesicles then carry cellulose and release it to the extracellular via exocytosis completing
the formation of the cell wall

Cyclins and the control of the cell cycle

Cyclins are involved in the control of the cell cycle
- Cyclins: proteins that bind to enzymes called cyclin-dependent kinases
- Kinases attach phosphate groups to other proteins and activate them at specific times
- The proteins carry out tasks specific to the cell cycle
- Cyclins need to reach a threshold concentration for the cell cycle to proceed to the next stage.

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Tumour formation and cancer

Mutagens, oncogenes and metastasis are involved in the development of primary and secondary
tumours.

- Benign: remains as primary tumours

- Malignant: undergo metastasis (movement of cells from a primary tumour to set up secondary
tumours in other parts of the body)

• cancer: diseases due to malignant tumours

• carcinogens: chemicals + agents that cause cancer

- Mutations: random changes to the base sequence of genes

- Mutagens: agents causing gene mutations - all mutagens are carcinogenic
- oncogenes: genes that become cancer causing after being mutated

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• Involved in the control of the cell cycle + cell division —> why mutations in them can result
in uncontrolled cell division, therefore tumour formation

- Chance of gene mutation turning cell into a tumour cell is extremely small
- But there are vast # of cells in the body - total chance of tumour formation during a lifetime is
significant

Smoking and cancer

The correlation between smoking and incidence of cancers.

- There is a positive correlation

- * correlation ≠ causation

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