What are our bodies made up of?

What exactly allows our bodies to

grow over time and move
everyday?
The process of one human
cell splitting into 2
daughter cells is called
“mitosis.” This process is
happening everyday and
there are many cells in our
body undergoing this!
 Today’s Lesson:
Finding a Mathematical Function with
Bone Cell Division
DIRECTIONS FOR
ACTIVITY
1. Folding the paper into half each time will
represent the number of cell divisions a
bone cell undergoes.

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2. Then, unfold the paper and count the number of
squares (number of cells that formed).
3. To record data for the next cell division process, fold
the paper back to how it was like and fold it in half
again.

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4. Then, unfold the paper and count the number of
squares.
Continue repeating this process and
fill out your table and graph on the
worksheet!
Then, make a poster with
your group that includes
a graph of your data and
one or two sentences on
what you have observed.
GALLERY WALK TIME
 Go clockwise around the classroom
and check out other groups’ posters.

Write down your wonderings and

findings as comments on their
posters!
What patterns have you
found between the
number of cellular
divisions and the
population of bone
cells?
What mathematical equation can
represent the number of divisions
and the number of bone cells
formed?
 x
y=2
How many folds can you do at
most by using paper to
demonstrate the process of
cell division?
Remember our bone cells are undergoing
cell division every single day! If our body
never stop developing, this process will
never stop. Are you able to fold your
paper many, many times to demonstrate
this process?
 Use a calculator for
finding larger values!
You Try!!
Suppose a cell undergoes
cell division and this
process happens 40 times.
How many cells will be
produced from this?
You Try!!
Suppose a cell undergoes
cell division and this
process happens 40 times.
How many cells will be
produced from this?
2^40 = 1,099,511,627,776 cells
EXIT TICKET TIME
How often does cell division
occur?
 If our cells are growing every
single day, do we have infinitely
many cells inside our bodies?
Cellular Decay is a
process where old cell
structures break down.
 More specifically, the half life of a
cell is the amount of time it takes for
a cell to break down to half of its
initial size.

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 Today’s Lesson:
Finding a Mathematical
Function with Red Blood Cells’
Decay (Half-life)
1. Cutting the paper into half each time will
represent the number of half-lives a
population of red blood cells undergoes.
2. Then, place your cutted piece of paper on top of the
grid to see what proportion of a population of red
blood cells is remaining after a half-life.
3. To record data for the next half-life process, cut the
paper into half again and place it on top of the grid to
see a population of red blood cells remaining once
again.
Continue repeating this process and
fill out your table and graph on the
worksheet!
 Then, make a poster
with your group that
includes a graph of your
data. Then write one or
two sentences on what
you have observed.
GALLERY WALK TIME
Go clockwise around the classroom
and check other groups’ posters.

Write down your wonderings and

findings as comments on their
posters!
 What patterns have
you found between
the number of
half-lives and the
proportion of a group
of red blood cells?
What mathematical equation can
represent the number of half lives
and the proportion of red blood
cells remaining?
 x
y = (1∕2)
 Cellular decay removes old,
weak cells every single day to
create space for new cells.
Do you think you can cut your
paper many, many times to
demonstrate the process of
half-lives in cellular decay?
 Use a calculator for
finding larger values!
You Try!!
Suppose a red blood cell
undergoes 30 half-lives.
What proportion of the red
blood cell will be remaining
from this process?
You Try!!
Suppose a red blood cell
undergoes 30 half-lives.
What proportion of the red
blood cell will be remaining
from this process?
-10
(½)^30 = 9.3132 x 10 Cells
EXIT TICKET TIME