Package : Chapter 11 Cell Division and Cell Cycle

No. Important concepts(follow teaching flow)-self check list

1 cell cycle and division
Stage of cell cycle
 Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase(IPMAT)
 Nuclear Division and Cytoplasmic Division
 Mitotic cell division
 Meiotic cell division
 genetic variation : crossing over and independent
assortment
Common Misconceptions
No. Wrong Concept Correction
1 Chromosomes are too Chromosomes can be seen under a high-powered
small to be seen under light microscope during the stage of cell division
the high-powered light ONLY
microscope.
2 Interphase is the resting The cell is metabolically active in the interphase
stage during which the which is divided into three stages: G1, S, and G2
cell is quite inactive. phases.
Chromosomes and many organelles are
replicated and large amount of energy reserves
are produced to prepare for the cell division.
3 Mitosis is a process of Mitosis is the process of nuclear division. Cell
cell division. division involves both the processes of nuclear
division and cytoplasmic division.
4 Chromosomes are Chromosomes are replicated before the division
replicated during the starts / in the interphase.
prophase of nuclear
division.
5 All cells in the body have Reproductive cells(gametes)only have half the
the same number of number of chromosomes of the body cells.
chromosomes.
6 In meiosis no replication Chromosomes are replicated to double the
of chromosomes occurs number before nuclear division. Then by two
because the successive divisions in meiosis, the chromosomes
chromosome number is number of the daughter cells is reduced by half.
reduced by half in the
daughter cells.
7 The reduction of It is the independent assortment of
chromosomes number chromosomes and the crossing over during
by half in meiosis brings meiosis that brings about genetic variations.
about genetic variations.
 8 As mitosis consists of The chromosomes replicate once only in both
one division and meiosis processes. It is the two successive divisions in
consists of two meiosis that reduce the number of chromosomes
successive divisions, the by half in their daughter cells.
chromosomes replicate
once in mitosis and twice
in meiosis.

DSE trend
12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17
Topic 1A 1B 1A 1B 1A 1B 1A 1B 1A 1B 1A 1B
cell cycle 11 1 6 3 2
and cell
division

Long Question Analysis

Section HKCEE HKDSEE HKALE
11.1 Genetic material
Chromosome 99, 1a(i) 13, 4b(ii)
00, 1a(ii)(1) 15, 2a
00, 1a(iii)
11.2 Stage of cell cycle
IPMAT 15, 2b 00, 2
17, 4b 01, 1
01, 10a, 10b
01, 10e
11.3 Mitotic cell division 99, 1a(ii)
mitosis and cytoplasmic division 14, 3c
importance
11.4 Meiotic cell division 06, 8b(i) SAMPLE, 4a 09, 6b(i)
meiosis and cytoplasmic division 01, 1 01, 10b(i)
importance (genetic variation) SAMPLE, 4b 01, 10b(ii)
10, paper2, 6c
11.5 Difference between mitotic 12, 11 98, paper2, 6
and meiotic cell division 15, 2c

No Frequently assessed concepts(summarized from by-chapter past paper

. long question)
1. genetic material : chromosome
e.g. DSE 2015 2(a)

X is not chromatin, as it is condensed and duplicated visible to

human eye under high power light microscope.
ANS : X is chromosome
2. stage of cell cycle
 Interphase : cell growth prepare for cell division
replication of DNA
NO chromosomes are visible, there is only chromatin.
e.g. 2017 4(b)
 because there is no visible chromosome, cell B is in interphase.
3.  mitotic cell division
 Prophase : chromatinthicken and shortenbecome visible rod-
like chromosomes(duplicated)each chromosome appears as two
sister chromatids held together by the centromere
nuclear membrane breaks down.
 Metaphase : chromosomes line up along the equator
each paired sister chromatids attach to spindle fibre by the
centromere
 Anaphase : spindle fibre contractspull the two sister chromatids
of each chromosome toward the opposite ends(poles)
now, the separated are called daughter chromosomes(NOT
daughter chromatids)
 Telophase : nuclear membrane is formed around each set of
daughter chromosomestwo identical daughter nuclei
chromosomes become chromatin
 Importance : growth in sizeincrease number of cells
repairdead cells or damaged tissues
4. FIRST meiotic cell division
 Prophase 1 : chromatinthicken and shortenvisible rod-like
chromosomes
members of each pair of homologous chromosomes lie side
 by sidePAIRING(there is NO pairing in mitotic cell division)
each pair of homologous chromosome become visible as four
chromatids bounded together.
nuclear membrane breaks down
crossing-over occurs
 Metaphase 1 : pairs of homologous chromosomes line up randomly
along the equator of the cell
the centromere holding the two sister chromatids DO NOT
splitcentromere attach to spindle fibre
 Anaphase 1 : each pair of homologous chromosome separate and
move toward opposite ends(poles) of the cell
 Telophase 1 : nuclear membrane reformstwo haploid daughter
nuclei
5. SECOND meiotic cell division
 Prophase 2 : each chromosome consists of two sister chromatids
held together by the same centromere
nuclear membrane breaks down again
 Metaphase 2 : the ‘haploid’ number of chromosomes line up along
the equatornew spindle fibre attach to centromere of each
chromosome
 Anaphase 2 : centromere split when spindle fibre contractpull
sister chromatids apart and move them to opposite ends(poles) as
daughter chromosomes
 Telophase 2 : chromosomes become chromatin
nuclear membrane reformfour haploid daughter nuclei
6. Importance of meiotic cell division
A form four haploid gameteshalf of the number of chromosomes of the
parent celltwo haploid gametesfertilizationrestore diploid
conditionpreserve a constant number of chromosomes
B Promotes genetic variationincrease chance of survival
Crossing-over : exchange of genetic segments between the non-
sister chromatids of the homologous chromosome at Prophase 1
 Crossing-over

Independent assortment : random arrangement of different pairs of

homologous chromosomes and the subsequent independent
separation of each homologous pair produces different
combinations of genes in the gametes

independent assortment

Differences between mitotic cell division and meiotic cell division

Mitotic cell division Meiotic cell division
1. Site of occurrence Body cells Gamete-producing cells in
sex organs
2. Number of cell division One Two
3. Events in stages No pairing has pairing
a. Pairing of
homologous
chromosomes
b. Crossing-over Does not occur occurincrease genetic
variation
c. Independent Does not occur occurincrease genetic
 assortment variation
4. Daughter cells
produced
a. number of two four
daughter cells
produced
b. Types of cells Body(somatic) cells Gametes
produced
c. Number of diploid(2N) haploid(N)
chromosomes
d. Genetic make-up same as parent cell and different from parent cell
of daughter cells among daughter cells and daughter cells
5. Importance Forms genetically a. Produce haploid
identical cellsgrowth, haploid gametes for
repair and asexual sexual reproduction that
reproduction can preserve the
chromosome number of
the species from
generation to generation
b. Produce genetic
variationpromote
survival the species in
the changing
environment.
E.g. DSE 2012, 11