General

Biology 1 12
General Biology 1 – Grade 12
Quarter 1 – Module 15: Significance of Mitosis
First Edition, 2020

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 General
Biology 1 12
Quarter 1
Self-Learning Module15
Significance of Mitosis
Introductory Message

For the Facilitator:

Welcome to General Biology 1 Grade 12 Self-Learning Module on Significance

of Mitosis!

This Self-Learning Module was collaboratively designed, developed and

reviewed by educators from the Schools Division Office of Pasig City headed by its
Officer-in-Charge Schools Division Superintendent, Ma. Evalou Concepcion A.
Agustin, in partnership with the City Government of Pasig through its mayor,
Honorable Victor Ma. Regis N. Sotto. The writers utilized the standards set by the K
to 12 Curriculum using the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC) in
developing this instructional resource.

This learning material hopes to engage the learners in guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Further, this also aims to help learners
acquire the needed 21st century skills especially the 5 Cs, namely: Communication,
Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Character while taking into
consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the
body of the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this
module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to
manage their own learning. Moreover, you are expected to encourage and assist the
learners as they do the tasks included in the module.
 For the Learner:

Welcome to General Biology 1 Self-Learning Module on Significance of Mitosis!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful
opportunities for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You
will be enabled to process the contents of the learning material while being an active
learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

Expectations - This points to the set of knowledge and skills

that you will learn after completing the module.

Pretest - This measures your prior knowledge about the lesson

at hand.

Recap - This part of the module provides a review of concepts

and skills that you already know about a previous lesson.

Lesson - This section discusses the topic in the module.

Activities - This is a set of activities that you need to perform.

Wrap-Up - This section summarizes the concepts and

application of the lesson.

Valuing - This part integrates a desirable moral value in the

lesson.

Posttest - This measures how much you have learned from the
entire module.
 EXPECTATIONS
We are done with the whole cell cycle, the checkpoints and one cell division
type which is mitosis. In this module, we will know the importance of mitosis in
humans and also the diseases or illness that might occur if there are malfunctions
or abnormalities in the events during mitosis.
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
1. identify the diseases caused by malfunction/s during mitosis or cell cycle;
2. list the applications of mitosis in different disciplines; and
3. cite the importance of mitosis in the human body.

PRETEST

Directions: Read the statements/questions comprehensively and choose the letter of

the best answer. Write your answers in your notebook.

1. This guardian of genome prevents the gene mutation and also responsible for
suppressing tumor.
A. p51
B. p52
C. p53
D. p54
2. When the tumor suppressor gene failed to do its job, the cell will continue to
divide endlessly and would result to…
A. normal cell division
B. daughter cells
C. cancer cells
D. acute cells
3. Cloning is said to be unethical if done with multicellular organisms like animals
or humans. However, it is used in plants. What is the example of cloning in
plants?
A. Agriculture
B. Cutting
C. Horticulture
D. Teraculture
4. In the field of medicine, what cells that are waiting to be differentiated into
specialized cells?
A. Stem cells
B. Cancer cells
C. Diploid cells
D. Systematic cells
5. Which of the following is not an importance of cell cycle (mitosis) in human
body?
 A. Production of gametes responsible for reproduction.
B. Production of cells to replace worn out ones.
C. Growth of an organ to become functional.
D. Repairing damaged cells.

RECAP
Activity 15.1

Directions: Complete this modified sudoku game using the words you have
encountered from modules 13 and 14. Write your answers in your notebook.

Gap Meta mitosis Cell

zero phase Cycle

Cell
Cycle

Cell
Cycle

LESSON

As mentioned in the previous modules, cell division is one of the most

important events in an organism’s life; from reproduction to maturity to cell repairs,
cell division is always happening. In this module, we will discuss more of its
importance to human body and to other disciplines. Aside from that, we will look into
the diseases that is related to the malfunctioning during mitosis events.
Though it was not discussed thoroughly, we already have an idea on the
significance of cell cycle, specifically, mitosis to our body.
 First of those significance, cell division is responsible for the development of
the body organs. From fertilization then to differentiation based on the expression of
specific gene set. Then, the organ will develop and grow until it reaches its maturity.

Gastrulation (CNX OpenStax, 2016, figure 1)

An example of this is the image above. It shows the process of gastrulation,

where it shows the early phase in embryonic development of most animals. It starts
when blastula folds inward and enlarges to create a gastrula. As the image depicts,
the packed cells there were from continuous cell division.
Before coming up from a full functioning mature organ, they start from a
single cell and just undergo continuous division until it reaches its maturity.
Aside from cell growth, cell division is also happening when the cells are worn
out or damaged. Given the example image below, from an open wound, it would be
healed and be repaired as if nothing happened.

Laceration on Skin (Newberg, n.d., figure 2)

Moving forward, cell division is not just important because it repairs cells, but
scientists see it to be more than that. Let us discuss the application of cell cycle and
mitosis to other disciplines.
STEM CELLS. These are cells that are like clay that is ready to be molded to
get a specific shape. Stem cells can become a blood cell, muscle cell, skin cell or any
type of cell. Cool right? Imagine if one patient having a heart attack (cells might be
dying or already damaged), stem cells can help in generating new cells to replace
those dying and damaged cells and in result, the patient can recover from this deadly
disease.
 Though there are still ethical concerns involved in harvesting stem cells from
a living human, we cannot deny the fact that this could really answer or solve some
medical concerns.

Stem Cell (Haileyfournier, 2019, figure 3)

Another examples of diseases where understanding cell division will be a big

help are diabetes retinopathy and neurological disorders. In diabetes retinopathy,
the scientists are eager to understand the control system in cell division happening
in the retina where blood vessels are continuously growing. And once they know the
events there, it might unlock the right treatment needed for that disease. For the
neurological disorders, scientists want to look into how to trigger cell division since
nerve cells stop dividing once it reaches maturity. They want to dive in to how it can
be modified to help in replacing and reproducing new cells in replacement of the
damaged nerve cells. With these two examples, we can see clearly how mastering cell
cycle division is important to human life.

In summary, understanding cell cycle, its checkpoints and cell division,

specifically mitosis, is very essential to human being because it may open doors to
new discoveries of ways on how to cure illness or just by understanding diseases in
hope of finding the right cure.

CANCER. As mentioned in the module 13, the main effect of cell cycle
malfunction is cancer. By definition, cancer cells are cells that don’t stop dividing
and growing even if there is already enough of them in an area. As a result, it would
create a lump that could get bigger.

One main responsible for having cancer cells is the p53 or the tumor
suppressor gene. Remember that if p53 failed to do its job, the daughter cell of the
damaged cell might become a cancer cell and eventually would continuously grow
and reproduce. Having too many cells means less nutrients for other cells nearby
causing more damage to the affected area.

Until now, scientists are still studying everything about cancer cells; what
could be done to remove it (if its already in the body), or how to prevent it from being
produced because in the recent data, cancer (mainly lung cancer) is still one of the
killer diseases not just worldwide [Top 6] (World Health Organization, 2018) but also
in the Philippines [Top 2] (Philippine News Update, 2018).

Cancer Cells (Cancer Research UK, 2014, figure 4)

There are other diseases related to cell cycle and mitosis not just cancer, but
we will focus more on the neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s,
Huntington’s and Parkinson’s. We won’t be discussing everything about these
diseases, only the facts related to cell cycle abnormalities.

NEURODEGENERATION. As the name implies, it is a progressive damage in

nerve cells (Robertson, 2018). We can say that it is the loss of nerve structure and
function which are notable in the diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and
Parkinson’s. We are already familiar with the diseases mentioned but why exactly it
is related to cell cycle? Remember that in cell cycle, there is control system or
checkpoints. If in any case there are damages, the cell will either be halted to
repair/continue what should be done or do apoptosis (cellular suicide) to prevent the
damage to be reproduced. If there are too much cell death, it may result to these
neurodegenerative diseases.

Alzheimer’s is the most widespread and known degenerative disease and is

characterized by memory loss. Based on the article of (Zhivotovsky & Orrenius 2010),
an evidence is connecting cell cycle abnormalities to Alzheimer’s disease. It is known
that cell cycle re-entry can lead to apoptosis and in neurodegenerative diseases like
Alzheimer’s, when neurons are able to re-enter it is more likely that these neurons
will die.

Huntington’s disease like Alzheimer’s is also caused by too many cell deaths.
As described by (Sari 2011), it is an inherited disorder characterized by neuronal
dysfunction and degeneration in striatum and cerebral cortex. Cell deaths are results
of overexpression of huntingtin-interactive protein (HIP-1) that is said to be a
proapoptotic protein.

Parkinson’s disease is also about cell deaths but targeting those neurons
responsible for movements. When these neurons die or become impaired, they
produce less dopamine which in return cause movement problems for Parkinson’s
patients. In the recent study discussed by (University of Guelph 2018), it is
mentioned that misfolding of protein called alpha-synuclein in nerve cells leads to
protein deposits that are toxic to neurons controlling voluntary movements. If there
are too many deposits, nerve cells die.

All the diseases mentioned above are related to apoptosis which is one of the
built-in mechanisms of cells to prevent further damage though it may seem that it
leads to deadly diseases. These continuous cell deaths and these diseases are still
under study.

APPLICATIONS OF CELL CYCLE AND MITOSIS TO OTHER DISCIPLINES

Knowledge on cell cycle and mitosis can also be applied in other disciplines
such as agriculture and medicine.

In AGRICULTURE, cloning is used. Cloning in biotechnology is the process of

creating copies of DNA fragments, cells or organisms. Horticulture is one of the
examples of cloning in plants. It is the practice of garden cultivation and
management.

Horticulturist (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2015, figure 5)

In MEDICINE, stem cell is the one they are eyeing in curing some diseases.
As discussed above, stem cells can differentiate into different specialized type of cells.
They want to use these harvested stem cells to replace those cells that are to be
damaged or die. Aside from that, TISSUE CULTURE is also an application of mitosis.
Tissue culture can be done in animal or plant cell. It is defined by (Britannica, 2015)
as fragments of tissue from an animal or plant are transferred to an artificial
environment in which they can continue to survive and function.
 ACTIVITIES

Activity 15.2

Directions: From the choices inside the box, identify what is asked in the
statements below. Write your answers in your notebook.

Huntington’s Disease apoptosis

p53 horticulture
Alzheimer’s Disease Parkinson’s disease
Cancer stem cells

1. It is usually characterized as memory loss.

2. An old lady is experiencing difficulty in moving her legs and there are times
that the doctors are seeing unstable heartbeat.
3. This is the result of unstoppable cell division.
4. The cell deaths of this disease are results of overexpression of huntingtin-
interactive protein
5. A gene responsible in suppressing tumors during cell cycle.

Activity 15.3

Directions: Using the knowledge learned above, draw what happened to the plant
under cloning (horticulture) and explain. Write your answers in your notebook.
Activity 15.4

Directions: Read the short passage below about importance of cell cycle and
mitosis and answer the guide questions in your notebook.

Experts have published a new study on the mechanisms that

regulate cell division and guarantee the correct distribution of
chromosomes during this process. In particular, they especially highlight
the fundamental role that an organelle, specifically the nucleolus, plays
in the coordination of these processes. When the cells acquire an
incorrect number of chromosomes, which is called aneuploidy, cellular
tumors can appear. It is estimated that more than 90% of all solid tumors
in humans are caused by aneuploidy. For that reason, understanding
the mechanisms that guarantee the fidelity of the genome transmission
during cell division is of enormous importance for understanding how
errors in this process can cause the appearance of tumors.

Source: University of Seville, 2017

Guide questions:
1. Summarize the statement above relating it to the topic discussed in this
module.
2. With the statement above, give the importance of cell division to human
body.

WRAP – UP

Activity 15.5
Directions: Write at least 5 take-away you have learned from the discussion above.
Write your answer in your notebook.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

VALUING

Activity 15.6

Directions: Explain the quote below relative to the discussion in this module. Write
your answer in your notebook.
 “You cannot solve what you don’t understand.”

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

POST TEST

Directions: Read each question carefully and choose the correct answer. Write your
answers in your notebook.

1. It is the loss of nerve structure and function, commonly happen to old people?
A. Cancer
B. Chicken pox
C. Memory loss
D. Neurodegeneration

2. One of the most common type of neurodegenerative disease where mostly

characterized as memory loss?
A. Turner’s disease
B. Alzheimer’s disease
C. Parkinson’s diseases
D. Huntington’s disease

3. Which of the following is NOT correct cloning?

A. It is about creating of copies of DNA fragments.
B. It is too unethical that can’t be applied in any organisms.
C. It is the copying of genes to create an exact same organism.
D. Creating a new multicellular organism, identical to another.

4. It is the process of transferring a tissue fragment to artificial environment to

further study the cell.
A. Tissue culture
B. Tissue sectioning
C. Tissue sterilization
D. Tissue fragmentation

5. Which of the following is NOT an application of cell cycle/mitosis?

A. Producing new cells from an unspecified and undifferentiated cell.
B. Mutation to create a new and different organism.
C. Cloning to have a same organism.
D. Growth and repair of cells.
 KEY TO CORRECTION
Meta Gap Cell ACTIVITY 1
mitosis
Cycle 1. Alzheimer’s disease
phase zero 2. Parkinson’s disease
3. Cancer
mitosis
Cell Gap Meta 4. Huntington’s disease
Cycle zero phase 5. p53

Gap Meta Cell mitosis POSTTEST PRETEST

zero phase Cycle 1. D 1. C
2. B 2. C
Cell 3. B 3. C
mitosis Meta Gap
4. A 4. A
Cycle phase zero 5. B 5. A

REFERENCES
Cancer Research UK. 2014. "Diagram showing how cancer cells keep on reproducing to form a
tumour." Original email from CRUK. Wikimedia Commons, 07 30.

CNX OpenStax. 2016. "Figure 27 01 03." Wikimedia Commons. n/a: Wikimedia Commons, 05 27.

Haileyfournier. 2019. "Stem Cells." Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia Commons, 06 10.

Montemayor, Ma. Teresa. 2018. "Top 3 Killer Diseases in the Philippines." Philippine News Agency. 11
01. Accessed 06 05, 2020.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1052723#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20latest%20dat
a,pneumonia%20in%20the%20third%20spot.

n/a. 2017. "Parkinson's Disease." National Institute on Aging. 05 06. Accessed 06 05, 2020.
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/parkinsons-disease.

Newberg, Kim. n.d. "Wound Pain Arm." Needpix.com.

Orrenius, B. Zhivotovsky and S. 2010. "Cell cycle and cell death in disease: past, present and future."
Wiley Online Library. 08 31. Accessed 06 05, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-
2796.2010.02282.x.

Rivera, Ajna. 2019. "Cell Division and Movement: Cleavage - Frog Gastrulation and the Dorsal Lip of
the Blastopore." LibreTexts libraries. 11 06. Accessed 06 05, 2020.
https://status.libretexts.org.

Sari, Youssef. 2011. "Huntington’s Disease: From Mutant Huntingtin Protein to Neurotrophic Factor
Therapy." International Journal of Biomedical Science. 06 00. Accessed 06 05, 2020.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3154262/.

Study.com. 2016. "Cell Division: Medical Advancements & Technology." Study.com. 12 18. Accessed
06 05, 2020. https://study.com/academy/lesson/cell-division-medical-advancements-
technology.html.

U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015. "Horticulturist Amy Boul by Lance Cheung." Wikimedia
Commons. Wikimedia Commons, 05 19.

University of Guelph. 2018. "Study Uncovers Cause of Cell Death in Parkinson's Disease." University
of Guelph. 02 26. Accessed 06 05, 2020. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-02-
uncovers-cell-death-parkinson-disease.html.

World Health Organization. 2018. "The Top 10 Causes of Death." World Health Organization. 05 24.
Accessed 06 05, 2020. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-
causes-of-death.