Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1.1 Introduction
Cell Theory
1. Outline the 3 statements of cell theory
The three statements of cell theory are as following;
All living organisms are composed of cells
Cells are the smallest unit of life
Cells come from pre-existing cells
2. Deduce how scientific evidence is used to support the three statements of cell
theory
Scientific evidence is used to support the three statements by looking for a trend
within general ideas, such as statements made about the cell theory. Such trends were
first experimented by Robert Hooke in 1665, after examining cork and other plant
parts. After describing cells in the cork, he wrote:
Nor is this kind of texture peculiar to cork only, for upon examination
with my microscope, I have found that the pith of the Elder, or almost
any other tree, the inner pith of the Cany hollow stems of several
other vegetables: as of Fennel, Carrets, Daucus, Bur-docks, Teasles,
Fearn, some kind of Reeds, etc. have much such a kind of Schematisme
as I have lately shown that of cork.
This basically means that Hooke had looked at multiple different plant tissues and
discovered a general trend; since then, biologists have looked at tissues from many
different living organisms. Many of these tissues have been found to consist of
cells–hence, the cell theory cannot be discarded.
However, there are some discrepancies–organisms or parts of organisms that do not
consist of typical cells. Nevertheless, it is very unlikely that the given cell theory will be
discarded due to the fact that the majority of examined tissue follows the trend.
You do not need to know the specifics of all of these; the IB usually asks people to list the 3
atypical examples with a single reason why they’re atypical.
4. Evaluate the validity of cell theory, given that there are exceptions
Refer back to question 2.
Magnification
5. Calculate the magnification of drawings and the actual size of structures and
ultrastructures shown in drawings or micrographs
To find the magnification of a micrograph or a drawing we need to know two
things: the size of the image (in the drawing or micrograph) and the actual size of the
specimen. With that information, we can use the following equation:
𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑒
magnification = 𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛
When you use the formula make sure that the units for the size of the image and the
size of the specimen are the same; they could be in millimeters (mm), micrometers
(µm) but they must not be different or the calculations will be wrong. Millimeters can
Reminder: These answers are detailed to aid with understanding. You will not be required to
answer IB questions in this much detail.
6. Use scale bars to calculate the actual sizes in drawings and micrographs
Scale bars are sometimes put on micrographs or drawings, or just alongside them.
These are straight lines, with the actual size that the scale bar represents. For
example, if there was a 10mm long scla ebar on a micrograph with a magnification of
x10,000 the scale bar would have a label of 1µm.
Example:
The length of an image is 30mm. It represents a structure that has an actual size of
3µm. Determine the magnification of the image.
Either
−3
30 mm = 30 𝑥 10 𝑚
−6
3 µm = 3 𝑥 10 𝑚
−3
30 𝑥 10
Magnification = −6 = 10,000 x
3 𝑥 10
Or
30 mm = 30,000 µm
30,000
Magnification = 3
= 10,000 x
Functions of life
7. State that all of the functions of life are carried out by all living organisms,
including unicellular organisms
The functions of life are things that all organisms must do to stay alive. Some
organisms consist solely of a single cell; this cell, therefore, has to carry out all
functions of life. Because of this the structure of unicellular organisms is more complex
than most cells in multicellular organisms.
Unicellular organisms carry out at least seven functions of life
a. Nutrition: obtaining food, to provide energy and the materials needed for
growth
b. Metabolism: chemical reactions inside the cell, including cell respiration to
release energy
c. Growth: an irreversible increase in size
d. Response: the ability to react to changes in environment
e. Excretion: getting rid of the waste products in metabolism
f. Homeostasis: keeping conditions inside the organism within tolerable limits
g. Reproduction: producing offspring either sexually or asexually
Reminder: These answers are detailed to aid with understanding. You will not be required to
answer IB questions in this much detail.
Chlamydomonas is a unicellular algae that lives in soil and freshwater habitats. It has
been used widely for research into cell and molecular biology. Although it is green in
colour and carries out photosynthesis it is not a true plant and its cell wall is not made
out of cellulose.
- The nucleus of the cell can divide to produce genetically identical nuclei for
asexual reproduction. Nuclei can also fuse and divide to carry out asexual
form of reproduction
- Metabolic reactions take place in the cytoplasm, with enzymes present to
speed them up
- The cell wall is freely permeable and it is the membrane in side that controls
what chemicals enter and leave; oxygen is a waste product of photosynthesis
and is excreted by diffusing out through the membrane
- The contractile vacuoles at the base of the flagella fill up with water and then
expel it through the plasma membrane of the cell, to keep the cell’s water
content within tolerable limits
- Photosynthesis occurs inside the chloroplasts in the cytoplasm; carbon
dioxide can be converted into the compounds needed for growth here, but in
the dark, carbon compounds from other organisms are sometimes absorbed
through the cell membrane if they are available
- Beating of the two flagella moves the Chlamydomonas through the water. A
light sensitive “eyespot” allows the cell to sense where the brightest light is
and respond by swimming towards it
Reminder: These answers are detailed to aid with understanding. You will not be required to
answer IB questions in this much detail.
10. Explain the importance of the surface area to volume ratio as a factor limiting cell
size
a. Heat Production vs Heat Loss
The surface area to volume ratio is very important in relation to heat
production and loss because if the ratio is too small, the cells may quickly
overheat due to the fact that the metabolism produces heat faster than it is lost
over the cell’s surface
b. Resource Consumption vs Excretion of Waste
It is also very important in relation to waste production and excretion because
if the ratio is too small, then substances will not enter the cell as quickly as
they are required and waste products will accumulate because they are
produced more rapidly than they can be excreted.
11. Recognize the role of root hairs, microvilli, and the biconcave shape of red blood
cells in increasing the surface area to volume ratio
Root hairs, microvilli, and the biconcave shape of red blood cells play a role in
increasing the surface area to volume ratio by increasing the surface areas of
the area that they play a role in. Root hairs are part of the plants’ root system,
and increase the overall surface area, increasing absorption. Microvilli do the
same in the small intestine, by lining themselves completely along the wall of
the intestine. Red blood cells, having a biconcave shape, increase their own
surface area:volume ratio by taking on that shape.
Stem cells
12. Outline the key properties of stem cells
Stem cells have two key properties that have made them one of the most active areas
of research in biology and medicine today:
- Stem cells can divide again and again to produce copious quantities of new
cells; they are therefore useful for the growth of tissues or the replacement of
cells that have been lost or damaged
Reminder: These answers are detailed to aid with understanding. You will not be required to
answer IB questions in this much detail.
- Stem cells are not fully differentiated; they can differentiate in different ways to
produce different cell types
b. Leukemia
This well-known disease is a type of cancer. As all cancers start, Leukemia
develops when mutations occur in specific genes that control cell division. This
is usually very unlikely, but due to the vast amounts of cells in the body, this
chance becomes much larger. More than a quarter of a million cases of
Leukemia are diagnosed each year globally, and there are over 200,000
annual deaths from the disease.
Once the mutations have occurred, it grows and divides repeatedly, producing
more damaged cells. Leukemia involves the production of abnormally large
numbers of white blood cells; in other types of cancer, it usually forms a lump
or tumour, but remains unseen with Leukemia. White blood cells are produced
in the bone marrow and are then released into the blood, both in normal
conditions and when excessive numbers are produced with Leukemia. A
normal adult white blood cell is between 4,000 and 11,000 per mm cubed, but
in a person with Leukemia, this number can rise up to 30,000 - 100,000 (acute)
per mm cubed.
To cure Leukemia, the cancer cells in the bone marrow that produce the large
numbers of white blood cells must be destroyed. This can be done by treating
the patient with chemicals that kill dividing cells; chemotherapy. However, to
remain healthy, patients must be able to produce the white cells needed to
fight the disease; stem cells that can produce blood cells must be present, but
they are killed by chemotherapy. Therefore, the following procedure is used:
- A large needle is inserted into a large bone–usually the pelvis–and
fluid is removed from the bone marrow
- Stem cells are extracted from this fluid and are stored by freezing them.
They are adult stem cells and only have the potential for producing red
blood cells
- A high dose of chemotherapy drugs is given to the patient, to kill the
cancer cells in the bone marrow. The bone marrow loses its ability to
produce blood cells
- The stem cells are then returned to the patient’s body; they re-establish
themselves into the bone marrow, multiple, and start to produce red
and white blood cells
16. Outline the ethics of stem cell research, along with the sources of stem cells
The research into stem cells has been very controversial as many ethical objections
have been raised. Scientists should always consider the ethical implications of their
research before doing it; some of the research that was carried out in the past would
Reminder: These answers are detailed to aid with understanding. You will not be required to
answer IB questions in this much detail.
not be considered ethically acceptable today, such as medical research carried out on
patients without their informed consent. These decisions about whether research is
ethically acceptable or not must be based on a clear understanding of the science
involved; some people dismiss all stem cell research as unethical, but this shows a
misunderstanding of the different possible sources of the stem cells being used.
Embryonic Stem Cells Cord Blood Stem Cells Adult Stem Cells
1.2 Ultrastructure
Prokaryotes
1. Draw and label a diagram of the ultrastructure of Escherichia coli (E. coli) as an
example of a prokaryote. The diagram should show: the cell wall, pili, flagella,
plasma membrane, cytoplasm, 70S ribosomes, a nucleoid with naked DNA
Reminder: These answers are detailed to aid with understanding. You will not be required to
answer IB questions in this much detail.
The single circular chromosome is first replicated- these two copies of the
chromosome then move to the opposite ends of the cell. After they reach the edge of
the cell, the cell quickly divides, leaving each daughter cell with one copy of the
chromosome, making them genetically identical.
Eukaryotes
6. Describe the eukaryotic cell
Eukaryotic cells have a much more complicated internal structure than prokaryotic
cells. Whereas the cytoplasm of a prokaryotic cell isn’t one undivided space,
eukaryotic cells are compartmentalised. This means that they are divided up by
partitions into compartments; these partitions are single or double membranes.
The most important of these organelles is the nucleus; it contains the cell’s
chromosomes. Each organelle in the eukaryotic cell is specialised to perform a
particular role.
7. Draw and label the ultrastructure of an exocrine gland cell of the pancreas. The
diagram should show: plasma membrane, cytoplasm, 80S ribosomes, nucleus,
mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, vesicles, lysosomes
9. Draw and label the ultrastructure of a palisade mesophyll cells of the leaf. The
diagram should show: plasma membrane, cytoplasm, 80S ribosomes, nucleus,
mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, vesicles, lysosomes,
vacuoles, chloroplasts, cell wall
10. Annotate the diagram with the functions of each named structure
Reminder: These answers are detailed to aid with understanding. You will not be required to
answer IB questions in this much detail.
11. Interpret electron micrographs of eukaryotic cells to identify features listed above
Microscopes
13. Electron microscopes vs light microscopes
Electron microscopes have a much higher resolution than light microscopes.
1.3 Membranes
Phospholipids
1. Outline the structure of a phospholipid molecule, to include hydrophilic head
(phosphate group, glycerol) and hydrophobic tails (2 fatty acids)
Phospholipid bilayers consists of hydrophilic (water-loving) polar heads that are made
up of glycerol bonding to a phosphate group and non polar hydrophobic
(water-hating) tails that are made up of two fatty acids. In the bilayer, the polar heads
and the nonpolar tails are arranged so that the nonpolar tails face each other while the
polar head face outward. The hydrophilic heads of the molecules always appear on
the outside of the membrane because that is where water is present, while the
hydrophobic tails face inward in the bilayer, away from water. As such, phospholipid
bilayers are known as amphiphilic compounds because they contain both hydrophilic
and hydrophobic regions.
Models
3. Knowing that scientists use models as representations of the real world, outline
how evidence from electron microscopy supported the Davson-Danielli model
The existence of a lipid bilayer was originally proposed and outlined by Gorter and
Grendel, in 1925. Their ideas were developed and improved by Hugh Davson and
James Danielli, who proposed in 1935 a membrane model, described as a 'lipo-protein
sandwich’, in which two layers of proteins sandwiched the phospholipid bilayer of the
membrane. The Davson– Danielli model was new and it attempted to explain their
observations of the surface tension of lipid bilayers. Since that time, the phenomenon
of surface tension in bilayers has been better explained by studying the properties of
the phospholipid heads. High magnification electron macrophages of membranes
were made in the 1950s which showed two dark lines, representing the protein bands,
with a lighter band, representing the phospholipid bilayer between. Ultimately this was
the evidence that supported the Davson-Danielli model..
Reminder: These answers are detailed to aid with understanding. You will not be required to
answer IB questions in this much detail.
4. Knowing that theories can be falsified and superseded by other theories when new
evidence becomes available, describe how the falsification of the Davson-Danielli
model led to the Singer-Nicolson model
However, in the 1960s, after some experimentation, it was discovered that the
Davson-Danielli's model of a phospholipid bilayer sandwiched between two layers of
globular protein was incorrect. Improvements in the biochemical techniques allowed
proteins to be extracted from the membranes which showed that the proteins were
varied in size and shape which was unlike the uniform shape proposed by Davson and
Danielli. In addition, a method involving rapid freezing cells and the fracturing them
revealed irregular touch surface inside the phospholipid bilayer, now known as
transmembrane proteins. This again did not support the Davson-Danielli's model.
Through fluorescent antibody tagging it was also discovered that the membrane
proteins were free to move within the membrane instead of being fixed. membrane
proteins from two different cells were tagged with red and green fluorescent markers
and when the two cells were fused, the markers became mixed revealing the fluidity of
the membrane. All this led to a new membrane model being proposed in 1966 by
Seymour Singer and Garth Nicolson. In this model, the proteins were embedded
within the lipid bilayer, occupied a variety of positions in the membrane and had the
ability to move around freely within the phospholipid bilayer. This model came to be
known as the fluid-mosaic model which we currently use today.
Cholesterol interacts with the fatty acid tails of phospholipids to moderate the
properties of the membrane. It functions to immobilise the outer surface of the
membrane, reducing fluidity and makes the membrane less permeable to very small
water-soluble molecules that would otherwise freely cross. Furthermore, it separates
the phospholipid tails to prevent crystallisation of the membrane, thereby helping
secure peripheral proteins by forming high density lipid rafts capable of anchoring the
protein.
Roles of proteins
7. State the position, structure and function of membrane proteins
Phospholipid bilayers are embedded with proteins that are either permanently or
temporarily attached to the membrane. These proteins can either be integral proteins,
which are permanently attached to the membrane attached or peripheral proteins.
Integrals are transmembrane proteins that have hydrophobic surfaces and are
embedded in the centre of the membrane. They span across the membrane with the
hydrophilic parts going through to the regions of the phosphate heads on either side
of the bilayer. peripherals on the other hand are hydrophilic on their surface and are
thus not embedded in the membrane, but rather attached to one side of the bilayer.
Although the primary function of the cell membrane is to form a barrier through which
ions and large molecules cannot pass through easily, the proteins of the membranes
have a wide range of functions. These functions vary from being pumps used for
active transport to the adhesion of cells to form netted connection in tissues and
organs. As such, because of theses functions, the more active a cell membrane is the
more proteins will be embedded in it.
Reminder: These answers are detailed to aid with understanding. You will not be required to
answer IB questions in this much detail.
1.4 Transport
Smaller Particles
2. Distinguish between diffusion, simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion and active
transport
Diffusion is the spreading out of particles in liquids and gases which happens
because the particles are in continuous random motion. More particles move from an
area of high concentration to an area of low concentration- there is therefore a net
movement from the higher to the lower concentration (movement down the
concentration gradient). This is a passive process.
Simple diffusion across membranes involves particles passing between the
phospholipids in the membrane; this can only occur if the phospholipid bilayer is
permeable to the particles. Non-polar particles such as oxygen can diffuse through
easily; if the oxygen concentration inside a cell is reduced due to aerobic respiration
and the concentration outside is higher, oxygen will pass through natural, passive
diffusion, however. The centre of the membranes are hydrophobic, so ions with
charges cannot easily pass through. Polar molecules, such as those with partial
charges, can diffuse at lower rates between the layers. Small polar particles such as
urea and ethanol can pass through more easily than large particles.
Facilitated diffusion is the movement of ions and other particles that cannot
diffuse between the phospholipids and instead move through channel proteins.
Reminder: These answers are detailed to aid with understanding. You will not be required to
answer IB questions in this much detail.
They are called channel proteins due to the fact that the walls of these channels
consist of proteins. The diameter and the chemical properties of the channel ensure
that only one type of particle passes through, such as sodium ions, or potassium ions,
but not both. Because the channels help such particles to pass through down the
concentration gradient, it is called facilitated diffusion; cells can control which types of
channels are synthesized and placed in the plasma membrane. This also means that
cells have complete control over what substances diffuse in and out.
Osmosis is the net movement of water in and out of cells. Water is able to move in
and out of cells freely; sometimes the number of water molecules moving in and out is
the same, and there is no net movement, but at other times, more molecules move in
one direction or the other. Osmosis occurs due to differences in concentration of
substances dissolved in water (aka solutes). Substances dissolve by forming
intermolecular bonds with the water molecules; these bonds restrict the movement of
water molecules. Regions with a higher solute concentration therefore have a lower
solute concentration; because of this, there is a net movement of water from regions
of lower solute concentrations to regions of higher solute concentration. This
movement is passive because is no energy is needed to make it happen. Osmosis
happens in all cells because water molecules, despite being hydrophilic, are small
enough to pass through the bilayer. Some cells have water channels called
aquaporins, which greatly increase membrane permeability to water; examples are
kidney cells that reabsorb water and root hair cells that absorb water from the soil.
Active transport is the movement of particles from an area of low concentration to
an area of high concentration with the assistance of energy, or ATP. Cells
sometimes take in substances, even though there is already a higher concentration
inside than outside. The substance is absorbed against the concentration gradient.
Less commonly, the cells may pump substances out, even if the concentration on the
outside is higher. Active transport is carried out by globular proteins in membranes,
also known as protein pumps. A visual below shows how pumps and channels work
Reminder: These answers are detailed to aid with understanding. You will not be required to
answer IB questions in this much detail.
4. Explain the role of protein pumps and ATP in active transport across membranes
In opposition, we could then use the transport of sodium to explain active transport.
Seeing as the nerve impulse involves rapid movements of sodium, active transport is
carried out by the sodium-potassium pump protein. The sodium-potassium pump
follows a repeating cycle of steps that result in three sodium ions being pumped out of
the axon and two potassium ions being pumped in. Each time the pump goes round
this cycle, it uses one ATP. The cycle consists of the following steps:
a. The interior of the pump is open to the inside of the axon; three sodium ions
enter the pump and attach to their binding sites
b. ATP transfers a phosphate group from itself to the pump; this causes the pump
to change shape and the interior is closed
c. The interior of the pump opens up to the outside of the axon and the three
sodium ions are released
d. Two potassium ions from outside can then enter and attack to their binding
sides
e. Binding of potassium causes the release of the phosphate group; this causes
the pump to change shape again, so that it is again open to the inside
f. The interior of the pump opens up to the inside of the axon and the two
potassium ions are released; sodium ions can enter and bind to the pump
again
Reminder: These answers are detailed to aid with understanding. You will not be required to
answer IB questions in this much detail.
Osmosis
5. What is Osmosis?
The passive movement of water molecules, across a partially permeable membrane,
from a region of lower solute concentration to a region of higher solute concentration.
Potato investigation
9. Estimate the osmolarity in tissues from experimental data
Osmosis is due to solutes that form bonds with water; these solutes are then osmotically
active. Glucose, sodium ions, potassium ions, and chloride ions are all osmotically active and
solutions of them are often used in osmosis experiments. The osmolarity of a solution is the
total concentration of osmotically active solutes; the units for measuring this is osmole or
milliosmole (mOsm). The normal osmolarity of human tissue is about 300 mOsm.
An isotonic solution has the same osmolarity as a tissue. A hypertonic solution has a higher
osmolality and a hypotonic solution has a lower osmolarity. If samples of a tissue are bathed
in hypertonic and hypotonic solutions, and measurements are taken to find out whether water
enters or leaves the tissue, it is possible to deduce what concentration would be isotonic, and
therefore find out the osmolarity the.
Check the Osmosis in Plant Tissues data-based question on page 42 for extra help.
Larger particles
10. Describe the processes of endocytosis and exocytosis, including how the plasma
membrane changes shape, breaks and reforms
See Question 1
11. State the importance of membrane fluidity in enabling endocytosis and exocytosis
The importance of membrane fluidity with regards to endocytosis and exocytosis is that
without it, the cell wouldn’t be able to excrete/absorb vesicles and in turn, not receive nor
excrete materials and waste. The cell would either die due to “starvation” or burst due to
amounts of waste.
12. Explain how vesicles are used to transport materials within a cell between the RER,
Golgi apparatus and plasma membrane
Refer to the end of Question 1
Reminder: These answers are detailed to aid with understanding. You will not be required to
answer IB questions in this much detail.
Louis Pasteur
1. Outline the theory of spontaneous generation
Spontaneous generation is the formation of living organisms from nonliving matter. A
Greek philosopher and botanist by the name of Theophrastus reported that a plant
called Silphium had sprung up from the soil where it was not previously present and
described this as an example of spontaneous generation.
Louis Pasteur’s experiments helped to form the theory of spontaneous generation. He
had made a nutrient broth by boiling water containing yeast and sugar. He showed
that if this broth was kept in a sealed flask, it remained unchanged, and no fungi or
other organism appeared. He then passed air through a pad of cotton wool in a tube,
to filter out microscopic particles from the air, including bacteria and the spores of
fungi. If the cotton wool placed in broth in the sealed flask, within 36 hours, there were
large numbers of microorganisms in the broth and mould would grow over its surface.
One of his most famous experiments was the swan-neck flasks whereby he would
place a sample of broth in flasks with long necks, then melted the glass and bent it
into an S shape. Then, he boiled the broth in some flasks to kill the organisms present
but left others unboiled (controlled). Fungi and other organisms soon appeared in the
unboiled flasks but not in the boiled ones, even after long periods of time. The broth in
the flasks was in contact with air, which it has been suggested was needed for
spontaneous generation, yet no generation occurred.
Endosymbiosis
5. Outline endosymbiotic theory:
ENDO = within
SYMBIOSIS = a mutually beneficial relationship between two organisms
The endosymbiotic theory helps to explain the evolution of eukaryotic cells. It states
that mitochondria were once free-living prokaryotic organisms that had developed the
process of aerobic cell respiration. Larger prokaryotes that could only respire
anaerobically took them in by endocytosis. Instead of absorbing and digesting these
smaller organisms, they allowed them to continue thriving and respirate inside their
cytoplasm. As long as the smaller cells grew and divided as fast as the larger ones,
they could persist indefinitely inside of the larger cells. According to the theory of
endosymbiosis, they have persisted over hundreds of millions of years of evolution to
become the mitochondria inside eukaryotic cells today. Natural selection would end
up favouring this symbiosis of cells.
Along with that, it helped explain the origin of chloroplasts in plant cells; if a
prokaryote that had developed photosynthesis was taken in by a larger cell and was
allowed to survive grow, and divide, it could have developed into the chloroplasts of
photosynthetic eukaryotes. Both of the cells would have benefited.
- new mitochondria and chloroplasts are formed only through a process similar
to binary fission
- both mitochondria and chloroplasts have a double membrane
- both mitochondria and chloroplasts appear to resemble free-living organisms
Reminder: These answers are detailed to aid with understanding. You will not be required to
answer IB questions in this much detail.
2. Outline the sequence of events that occur during the four phases of mitosis
Given that mitosis involves the division of the nucleus into two genetically identical
daughter nuclei, we can conclude that there are multiple stages or phases for mitosis
to occur. However, before mitosis begins, the cell goes through a phase called
interphase.
Interphase is a very active phase of the cell cycle with many processes occurring in
the nucleus and cytoplasm. The cell cycle is the sequence of events between one cell
division and the next. During interphase, the numbers of mitochondria that reside in
the cytoplasm increase; this is due to the growth and development as well as the
splitting of the organelles. In opposition, the chloroplast count in plant cells increase.
Along with that, they synthesise cellulose and use vesicles to reinforce the cell wall.
Interphase itself consists of 3 stages, the G1 stage, the S stage, and the G2 stage.
During G1, the cells continue to grow and synthesise enzymes and nutrients that are
later needed for DNA replication. During S, the cell replicates all the genetic material
in its nucleus, so that the new cells have a complete set of organelles. During G2, the
cell goes through a control checkpoint to see if it is ready for mitosis (so that it doesn’t
create mutations or mess up the cell structure).
The four phases of mitosis include Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, and Telophase.
a. Prophase
i. Chromosomes become shorter and fatter by coiling and supercoiling
ii. Nucleolus (nuclear envelope) breaks down
iii. Microtubules grow to form spindle between two cell poles
iv. At the end of prophase
b. Metaphase
i. Microtubules continue to grow and attach to centromeres of
chromosomes
ii. Two attachment points on opposite sides of each centromere allow the
chromatids of a chromosome to attach to microtubules from different
poles
iii. Microtubules put under tension to see if attachment is correct -
shortening the microtubules at the centromere
Reminder: These answers are detailed to aid with understanding. You will not be required to
answer IB questions in this much detail.
c. Anaphase
i. Each centromere divides, allowing sister chromatids to separate
ii. Spindle microtubules pull them to the poles
iii. Mitosis produces two genetically identical nuclei because sister
chromatids are pulled to opposite poles
d. Telophase
i. Chromatids reached the poles - now called chromosomes
ii. At least pole, chromosomes are pulled into a tight group
iii. Nuclear membrane reforms
iv. Chromosomes uncoil and nucleolus is formed
v. Starting to divide, daughter cells will enter interphase again
3. Outline how cyclins are involved in the control of the cell cycle.
Cyclins are a class of proteins discovered in 1982 by Timothy Hunt, that are involved
in the control of the cell cycle and are responsible for the control of specific events
such as microtubule formation and chromatid alignment. Cyclins work by binding to
enzymes called cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) that become active and attach
phosphate groups to the other proteins in the cell. That attachment triggers the other
proteins to become active and carry specific functions depending on the phase of the
cell cycle.
Reminder: These answers are detailed to aid with understanding. You will not be required to
answer IB questions in this much detail.
Diagnosing cancer
5. Skill: Identification of phases of mitosis in cells viewed with a microscope or in a
micrograph
Interphase
(not part of mitosis)
Prophase
Metaphase
Reminder: These answers are detailed to aid with understanding. You will not be required to
answer IB questions in this much detail.
Anaphase
Telophase
The mitotic index in an important prognostic tool used in predicting the response of
cancer cells to chemotherapy – a low mitotic index indicates a longer survival time,
and suggests that the treatment is working. It can be less accurate when used with
elderly patients, whose cells divide more slowly. In such patients, a low mitotic index
may not indicate that a treatment is working. In the laboratory, it is possible to work
out the mitotic index of growing and dividing cells from an electron micrograph as
shown in the image below