Barrento, Mary Gabriele Worksheet 8: The Cell Cycle

Bermudez, Helen Audrey Date Submitted: 08/09/2021

Casia, Julia Marie
Marquez, Francesca Julianne

Activity 1: Identification of the Interphase and the Stages of Mitosis

1. A large spherical nucleus, with the nuclear membrane intact, grainlike chromosomes and one to
two nucleoli. This is the stage of telophase.

2. A large, spherical nucleus with a nucleolus and nuclear membrane intact and with thickened,
more distinctly ribbonlike chromosomes. The chromosomes may look like a dish of spaghetti.
This is the stage of telophase.

3. A cell in which the chromosomes appear as a loose knot in the center of the cell. The nuclear
membrane, if still present, is indistinct. The nucleolus may start to fade. This is the stage of
prophase.

4. A cell in which the chromosomes are aligned in the equatorial plane of the cell. This is the
stage of _metaphase_.

5. A cell in which the chromatids are moving to opposite poles of the cell. This is the stage of
_anaphase_.

6. A cell in which the chromatids, though fairly distinct, are close to the opposite poles of the
cell. A cell plate may be forming at the middle of the cell. This is the stage of Cytokinesis.

7. Look for two cells that appear to have finished dividing recently. These are the daughter cells
and the stage seen is the stage of telophase.

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 Illustration showing the five stages of mitosis

Activity 2: Computation of the Mitotic Index

The mitotic index is defined as the ratio of the number of cells undergoing mitosis at any
time; it provides a measure of the rate of cell division, as well as the capacity of the cells to
reproduce (Campbell 1983). The mitotic index is calculated as follows:

Mitotic index = # of cells in mitosis x 100

Total # of cells

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1. Mitotic Index = 13.6%

Mitotic Index = __48__ x 100 = 13.559 % ≈ 13.6%

354

2. Mitotic Index = 8.2%

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 Mitotic Index = __27__ x 100 = 8.18% ≈ 8.2%
330

3. Mitotic Index = 9.1%

Mitotic Index = __15__ x 100 = 9.09 % ≈ 9.1%

286

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 4. Mitotic Index = 8.4%

Mitotic Index = __20__ x 100 = 8.438 % ≈ 8.4%

237

Activity 3: Determination of Duration of Interphase and the Mitotic Stages

The cell cycle features various stages, namely: interphase, prophase, metaphase,
anaphase, and telophase which occur at different durations and hence cannot occur
simultaneously in a single cell. In this activity, the cells of the onion root tip are examined. It is
imperative to this section of the worksheet to note that the duration of cell division in this
particular specimen lasts up to 16 hours on average.

The approximated data obtained, by the group, from observing the photos of the specimen
provided by the laboratory instructor have been tabulated, as seen in the summarized table below.

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 Your Specimen
Number | Duration
Specimen 1 Specimen 2 Specimen 3 Specimen 4
No. Duration No. Duration No. Duration No. Duration
Total # of
cells 354 16 hours 330 16 hours 286 16 hours 237 16 hours
Prophase (27/354) x (12/330) x (10/286) x (7/237) x
16 x 60 = 16 x 60 = 16 x 60 = 16 x 60 =
73.22 34. 91 33.6 28.4
minutes minutes minutes minutes
27 per cycle 12 per cycle 10 per cycle 7 per cycle
Metaphas (7/354) x (7/330) x (8/286) x (4/237) x
e 16 x 60 = 16 x 60 = 16 x 60 = 16 x 60 =
18.98 20.36 26.9 16.2
minutes minutes minutes minutes
7 per cycle 7 per cycle 8 per cycle 4 per cycle
Anaphase (4/354) x (3/330) x (3/286) x (2/237) x
16 x 60 = 16 x 60 = 16 x 60 = 16 x 60 =
10.85 8.73 10.1 8.1
minutes minutes minutes minutes
4 per cycle 3 per cycle 3 per cycle 2 per cycle
Telophase (10/354) x (5/330) x (7/237) x
16 x 60 = 16 x 60 = (4/286 x 16 x 60 =
27.12 14.55 16 x 60 = 28.4
minutes minutes 13.4 minutes
10 per cycle 5 per cycle 4 minutes 7 per cycle
Interphase (306/354) (303/330) (261/286) (217/237)
x 16 x 60 x 16 x 60 x 16 x 60 x 16 x 60
= 829.83 = 881.45 = 876 = 879
354-38 = minutes minutes minutes minutes
306 per cycle 303 per cycle 266 per cycle 217 per cycle
Table 1. Group Data

The tabulated data from other groups have been included in this worksheet in order to
compare the values the group obtained from their observations and calculations of the provided
photos. Their values are as seen below.

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Table 2. Class Data: Group 1

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Table 3. Class Data: Group 3

Table 4. Class Data: Group 4

Table 5. Class Data: Group 5

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Table 6. Class Data: Group 6

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Table 7. Class Data: Group 7

Table 8. Class Data: Group 8

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 Given the consistency group’s data, and the class data, it can be seen that the values
acquired by each of the featured various groups are closer to one another than the published
values. Furthermore, it shows that interphase, among the other stages of cell division, has the
longest duration. An elaboration of the key points mentioned in this paragraph can be read in the
consequent paragraphs.

a. What stage of the cell cycle has the longest duration? Why?
Provided the acquired data, interphase is deduced to be the stage with the longest
duration. Interphase in particular is subdivided into three stages: G1(cell growth), S
(DNA synthesis), and G2 (preparation for division). The three substages must be completed first
before a cell can undergo cell division, and due to the complexity of the genetic matter being
processed and replicated in the S-phase (bio libretext, 2020) , interphase takes longer to
complete. Hence, cells spend 90% of their time in interphase.

b. Does your group data approximate the published values for the different stages?
Why or why not?
The obtained data is very far from the published values; the values featured in the table
show longer durations for each of the stages compared to the various durations provided by the
published values. There is a possibility that the published values were acquired from observing
on a different specimen from the one being observed in this particular experiment. Another
possibility is that it was acquired from observing cells in a different part of the same species
being observed in this experiment. Nevertheless, the group data is far from the published values.

Additional Questions

1. During what stage of the cell cycle is the nuclear material doubled?
Nuclear material is doubled in the interphase (S phase) part of the cell cycle.
During this phase, the cell grows and accumulates chromosomal DNA to pave the way for
chromosomal replication. After it expands and doubles its nuclear material, it will move into the
mitotic phase of interphase.

2. Are the stages of mitosis occurring simultaneously on a meristem?

The stages of mitosis cannot occur simultaneously in a meristem, due to mitosis
being a process, and it cannot proceed to another without undergoing certain phases. However,
its growth can become “synchronous” in a given portion of a specimen.

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 3. In what material is the coded information of the cell stored?
The coded genetic information of cells, animal or plant, is stored in the DNA
(Deoxyribonucleic Acid). The DNA is located in the nucleus of each cell. It also stores its genetic
material in its nitrogenous bases such as adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine (A, G, C, and
T, respectively).

4. What should be the chromosome number in daughter nuclei formed by mitotic

division of cells having the following chromosome numbers?
16 : 16 68 : 68

22 : 22 8 :8

Upon division, the daughter cells would contain the same number of chromosomes as its
parent cell. The daughter cell would be an identical copy of the original cell, unless an
anomaly occurs.

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References

Interphase [Internet]. [Updated 2020 Aug 15]. Boundless.; [cited 2021 Aug 9]. Available from:
https://bio.libretexts.org/@go/page/13235

Lumen Learning, Date Unknown. Lumen Cell Cycle [Internet]. Retrieved from
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-biology/chapter/the-cell-cycle/#:~
:text=During%20interphase%2C%20the%20cell%20grows,and%20distributed%20into
%20daughter%20nuclei.

Richard C. 1983. Mitotic Index. Hydra: Research Methods. (1): pp 165-168

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Table of Collaboration

Part of the Output Member

Activity 1: Identification of the Interphase Julia Marie Casia and Gabriele Barrento
and the Stages of Mitosis

Activity 2: Computation of Mitotic Index Francesca Julianne Marquez

Activity 3: Determination of Duration of Helena Audrey Bermudez

Interphase and the Mitotic Stages
Julia Casia

Francesca Julianne Marquez

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