Classwork: Comparison between Mitosis and Meiosis
Group______Name_Ramon Velazquez Daniel Sandoval ID A01194403,
a01194374
Introduction to the activity:
The cell is the basic unit of life. It can form unicellular organisms, or join with other cells to form
multicellular organisms. The maintenance and reproduction of these organisms depend on two
processes of cellular division: mitosis and meiosis.
The process of mitosis occurs in somatic or body cells. It is responsible for the production of new
cells that substitute damaged or dead cells, as well as for the production of new cells during growth
and development. For example, every minute, millions of red blood cells must be produced to
replace those that die.
Meiosis is the process of cell division that is present exclusively in cells that will become gametes,
cells responsible for reproduction of the organism. The principle function of meiosis is to produce
gametes that are genetically different from each other and contain half the number of chromosomes
so that during fertilization, that offspring will have the complete number of chromosomes and will be
different from the parents. Therefore, meiosis allows genetic recombination that permits variations
within the same species and assures the evolutionary success of the species.
Materials required
Copy of the activity
Access to internet
Instruction/steps
Part 1: The cell cyle
1. Draw a diagram of the cell cycle indicating each of its stages, as well as the divisions within
each stage. Describe the major activity that occurs in each stage.
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Part II: Comparison of Mitosis and Meiosis
1.
Use your ebook to fill in the following table:
Characteristics of
comparison
Type of cell that it occurs
in
Mitosis
Meiosis I
Meiosis II
somatic
Sex cells
Total number of cells
produced
Half the number
of chromosomes
Two haploid cells a
regular human cell
4 haploid
Type of cells produced
(haploid or diploid)
Diploid somatic
cells
Haploid gamete
(sex cells)
two
Importance of the
process
Divides old
cells to create
new ones.
Produces
gametes(eggs and
sperm)
Impact if the process fails
Affects the
daughter cells. It
can case
cancer.
Wrong number of
chromosomes in a
sex cell.
testes
Presence of genetic
variation
2.
Produces human
beings
Failure of sister
chromatids
Based on the information in the above table and your eBook, answer the following
questions:
a. What would happen if mitosis did not occur?
Any part of a living being where cells are destroyed for whatever purpose, would
cease to function after a relatively short amount time.
b.
What would be the consequences if meiosis did not occur?
Cells can´t reproduce, therefore not being able to produce an organism.
c. What would be the effects on evolution of the species if there was no genetic variation?
A population cannot evolve in response to changing environment variables and as a result it
may face an increse risk of extincion.
Part III: Define the following terms:
a. Apoptosis: a death cell.
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b. Cell cycle: The Cell Cycle is an orderly set of stages that occur between the time
a cell divides and the time the resulting daughter cells divide.
c.
Crossing over:
d. Cytokinesis: the cytoplasmic division of a cell at the end of mitosis or meiosis, bringing
about the separation into two daughter cells.
e. Mitosis: a type of cell division that results in two daughter cells each having the same
number and kind of chromosomes as the parent nucleus.
f.
Meiosis: cell division that results in four daughter cells each with half the number of
chromosomes of the parent cell.
g. Genetic recombination: process by which two DNA molecules exchange genetic
information, resulting in the production of a new combination of alleles.
h. Haploid number: half of the number of the chromosome
i.
Diploid number: cell that contains two sets of chromosomes.
j.
Homologous chromosome: chromosomes that are paired during meiosis.
k.
Independent assortment: two or more characteristics are inherited, individual hereditary
factors assort independently during gamete production.
l.
Interphase: continuum of stages (stages of the process).
m. Nondisjunction: the failure of one or more pairs of homologous chromosomes or sister
chromatids to separate normally during nuclear division.
n. Oogenesis: the creation of an ovum (egg cell)
o. Sister chromatid: pieces of identical DNA that are crucial in the process of cell
replication and division.
p. Somatic cell: any cell of a living organism other than the reproductive cells.
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q. Spermatogenesis: the process in which spermatozoa are produced from male
primordial germ cells by way of mitosis and meiosis.
r.
Synapsis: the fusion of chromosome pairs at the start of meiosis.
s.
Zygote: a diploid cell resulting from the fusion of two haploid gametes; a fertilized ovum.
t.
Gamete: a cell that fuses with another cell during fertilization.
Evaluation
Evaluation criteria
Contents of the
report
3
2
1
The report contained
a diagram of the cell
cycle, the
comparative table
completed and all
the questions
answered.
All of the questions
were answered
correctly according
to the information
asked for in the
comparison table.
The report contained
a diagram of the cell
cycle, the
comparative table
incomplete and not
all the questions
answered.
None of the
questions were
answered correctly
according to the
information asked for
in the comparison
table.
At least 10 of the
vocabulary terms
were completed
correctly.
Did not follow
teacher´s
instructions with
respect to format
and content.
vocabulary
All 20 of the
vocabulary terms
were completed
correctly.
The report contained
a diagram of the cell
cycle, the
comparative table
was incomplete, and
all the questions
answered.
Some of the
questions were
answered correctly
according to the
information asked for
in the comparison
table.
At least 15 of the
vocabulary terms
were completed
correctly
Report format
Followed teacher´s
instructions with
respect to format
and content.
Followed teacher´s
instructions with
respect to format but
not content.
Analysis of the
information
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