Cell Division: Mitosis and Meiosis

Abstract

The purpose of the lab was to understand and learn about how cells divide, the cell cycle regulation, and
the factors that could prevent them from dividing. We did this by testing a biological tissue (onion root)
that had paclitaxel added to it and a regular onion root tissue. We had to understand the process of cell
division first to accurately give the results of the experiment. In the lab, we learned about the cell cycle
both the interphase and the mitotic phase. The lab also covered how the cell cycle is regulated or
controlled by the checkpoints. Learning about the stages in the mitotic phase (prophase, metaphase,
anaphase, and telophase) and the checkpoints helped me to understand why there are fewer cells in the
sample being tested.

Introduction

The hypothesis for the experiment is, If the sample containing Paclitaxel has fewer cells than a regular
onion root sample then Paclitaxel inhibits cell division. There are four stages in the mitotic phase;
prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. If the cell division is not carried out properly in any of
these stages, there are checkpoints in the cell cycle to prevent the cell from moving forward.

Method and Materials

The first thing I did after putting on the lab coat and gloves was to get a piece of the onion root using a
pair of tweezers. I placed the onion root sample on a microscope slide, there was already an onion root
sample with paclitaxel. I then used a pipette to apply HCl and Carnoy’s fixation to the two samples.

Using a microscope, I examined the onion root sample containing paclitaxel (experimental group) and
made my observations. I also did the same thing with the regular onion root sample that did not contain
paclitaxel (control group). In the lab, there were posters and images of the cell cycle, so I learned about
the stages of the interphase. I learned about what happens in the G1, S, and G2 phases and I also
learned the process of mitosis by completing a flow chart. I also used a microscope to observe the
various stages of the mitotic phase.

Results

When I observed the two samples (the experimental and control group) using the microscope, the
experimental sample that contained paclitaxel had fewer cells than the control group that did not
contain Paclitaxel. From this I can say that little to no cell division occurred in the experimental sample.

Discussion:

From this theory, I learned first about the effect of paclitaxel on cell division. Paclitaxel is a chemical that
inhibits cell division by attacking the microtubules which pull apart the sister chromatids in the
anaphase. It prevents the mitotic stage from being completed and the cell is unable to pass the
checkpoint. This quality of paclitaxel makes it useful in the treatment of cancer. In this experiment, I
observed many things, for example, I saw an animation on how DNA is packaged in the nucleus
(wrapped around a protein). This experiment also made me observe the different stages of mitosis using
a microscope and understand it better. The experiment also talked about the difference between
mitosis and meiosis.
Conclusion:

In the experiment, I learned that cell cycle has two phases: the interphase and the mitotic phase. The
interphase has three stages; G1, S and G2 stages. DNA is replicated in the S stage. While the mitotic
phase has four stages which are the prophase, the metaphase, the anaphase and the telophase. The
experiment also taught me about the difference between mitosis and meiosis.