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Mitosis and cytokinesis

13 important questions on Mitosis and cytokinesis

What is the result of cytokinesis in animal cells?

In animal cells, cytokinesis is accomplished by using microtubules to constrict, or pinch, the cytoplasm of the cell in half. The cell splits into two daughter cells.

Describe what happens to the chromatids during metaphase.

During the second stage of mitosis, metaphase, the chromatids are pulled by motor proteins along the spindle apparatus toward the center of the cell. The chromatids line up in the middle, or the equator, of the cell. If metaphase is completed successfully, each daughter cell will have a copy of each chromosome.

What is the first and longest stage of mitosis called?

The first and longest stage of mitosis is called prophase.

How is cytokinesis different in plant cells?

Plant cells complete cell division a different way, as shown in the figure below. Recall that plant cells are surrounded by a rigid cell wall. During cytokinesis, plant cells form a new structure, called the cell plate, between the two daughter nuclei. New cell walls then form on either side of the cell plate, dividing the cell into two identical daughter cells.

What is the main idea of the section on Mitosis and Cytokinesis?

Eukaryotic cells reproduce by mitosis and cytokinesis.

What happens to DNA before prophase?

Before prophase, DNA is in a relaxed, or unwound, form known as chromatin.

How is cell division different in prokaryotic cells?

Prokaryotic cells undergo cell division in a different way. Recall that prokaryotic cells divide by a process known as binary fission. When prokaryotic DNA is copied, both identical copies of DNA attach to the plasma membrane. As the plasma membrane grows, the attached DNA molecules are pulled apart. The cell completes fission, producing two new prokaryotic cells.

Describe the shape and composition of each chromosome during prophase.

During prophase, each chromosome is X-shaped. The left half of the X is one copy of DNA. The right half is the other identical copy.

What is a sister chromatid?

Each half of the X is a sister chromatid containing identical copies of DNA.

Where are sister chromatids attached?

The sister chromatids are attached near the center of the chromosome by a structure called the centromere.

What is the function of the centromere?

The centromere ensures that a complete copy of the DNA copy becomes part of the daughter cell at the end of the cell cycle.

What is one function of mitosis in a multicellular organism?

Mitosis increases the number of cells as a young organism grows to its adult size. Mitosis also replaces damaged cells, such as skin cells that are damaged when you get a cut.