Chapter 17: Cell Division

Textbook pages
240–248

Chapter overview
This chapter covers mitosis, meiosis and the generation of genetic variation.

What to expect
Specification areas covered:

3.28 understand how division of a diploid cell by mitosis produces two cells that contain identical
sets of chromosomes

3.29 understand that mitosis occurs during growth, repair, cloning and asexual reproduction

3.30 understand how division of a cell by meiosis produces four cells, each with half the number of
chromosomes, and that this results in the formation of genetically different haploid gametes

3.31 understand how random fertilisation produces genetic variation of offspring

This chapter is a relatively short chapter but students often find the topics challenging. Students
should understand the structure of DNA and chromosomes (Chapter 16) and reproduction in
humans and plants. Homework tasks could include completing worksheets.

Teaching notes
 The topic of mitosis can be introduced by showing students photographs and diagrams of
situations where mitosis is important (e.g. asexual reproduction, bone growth, skin healing).
Students could discuss why it is important to produce genetically identical offspring.
 Students do not need to know the exact stages of mitosis but a consideration of them helps
them to understand cell division. A card sort of photographs or diagrams of mitosis stages
could be done by students or as a class / group activity.
 Using pipe cleaners and modelling clay to model the process of mitosis can help students to
understand the mechanism and the generation of genetically identical cells.
 Students should understand the need to halve the chromosome number in gamete cells.
This can be reinforced by considering what happens to chromosome number if it were not
halved.
 As for mitosis, meiosis can be modelled with pipe cleaners and modelling clay – it should
help students to understand how the chromosome number is halved.
 It is useful for students to create a table showing the differences between mitosis and
meiosis. This could be done in groups who then feedback to the whole class, or a piece of
paper could be passed around the class and suggested differences written down by students.
 Genetic variation can be investigated by measuring height of students, shoe size, eye colour,
tongue rolling and ear lobes. The idea of continuous and discontinuous variation can be
discussed and the impact of genes and environment on phenotypes.

Possible misunderstandings
 Students should be very clear in the spelling of mitosis and meiosis. They also need to be
clear that mitosis results in genetically identical cells, not just identical cells.

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not copyright free.
Differentiation
 For extension, students could consider the causes of variation in meiosis (crossing over and
independent assortment). Students could also investigate the life cycles of other organisms,
such as bees.
 Less-able students will definitely need to make models and / or posters of mitosis and
meiosis. With less-able students, the models can be made step by step as a whole class and
with the teacher dictating what to do at each time.

Practicals

Practi cals listed in the textbook

There are no practicals in this chapter.

Additi onal Practi cals

 It may be possible with more-able groups to look at prepared root tip squashes.
 Students can measure factors such as shoe size and height (continuous variation) and eye
colour, ear lobes and tongue rolling (discontinuous variation). Class data can be collated and
histograms and bar charts plotted of the data. Students can also be given data on other
examples, such as plant height, and asked to decide whether genes or environment control
the features. This practical is a good opportunity for maths skills as it can require the use of
tally charts, and the plotting of histograms and bar charts.

© Pearson Education Ltd 2018. Copying permitted for purchasing institution only. This material is
not copyright free.