Cellular Reproduction (Mitosis) Virtual Lab Instructions
*NOTE: The lab simulation will be on the right side of the screen, and the “Question” column will be on the
left side.
1. Click on the TV and watch the Mitosis animation.
2. After the animation, click on the MICROSCOPE. Notice that next to the base of the microscope is a
box that tells you what type of tissue cells you are looking at. You will want to split up your group
so that half of you look at NORMAL tissue (Table 1) and the other half at CANCEROUS tissue (Table
2). You will swap data at the end. To change the slide, click and hold on the “Tissue Slides” box and
scroll to the tissue you wish to view.
3. Read through the information in the “Table of Contents” before you start labeling cells.
4. Label the cells with empty label boxes below them. Decide which phase a particular cell is in. Go to
the information card that corresponds to that phase of the cell cycle. Click and drag the
corresponding label from the top of the information card to the label box below the cell.
5. Repeat the labeling procedure for each of the five cells. Click the “Check” button.
6. Click and drag new labels to any of the cells that are labeled incorrectly. Incorrectly labeled cell will
be highlighted in yellow.
7. After you have correctly labeled the five cells, labels will appear below the other cells in the
microscopic view. Count the number of cells in each phase and record the numbers in your data
table. (Table 1 for NORMAL tissue and Table 2 for CANCEROUS tissue.)
8. Click the “Reset” button. Repeat steps 8-11. *NOTE: You must collect data from 2 samples of the
same tissue.
9. Select another type of tissue from the “Tissue Slides” box and repeat steps 8-12.
10. Repeat steps 8-12 one more time for your 3rd type of tissue.
11. Calculate the average Mitotic Index (% of cells dividing) and average % of cells at rest for normal
tissues. Record these numbers in Table 3.
a. To calculate the Mitotic Index (avg. % of cells dividing) in normal tissue,
i. (# of cells in Mitosis (PMAT) in Sample 1 + # of cells in Mitosis (PMAT) in Sample 2)/2
= average # of cells dividing
ii. (avg. # of cells dividing/total # of cells) X 100 = average % of cells dividing
b. To calculate the average % of cells at rest in normal tissue,
i. (# of cells in Interphase in Sample 1 + # of cells in Interphase in Sample 2)/2 = average
# of cells at rest
ii. (avg. # of cells at rest/total # of cells) X 100 = average % of cells at rest
12. Repeat step 15 for cancerous tissue. Record these numbers in Table 4.
13. Answer “Conclusion” questions.
SHOW YOUR WORK!!!
Name: _______________________________________ Date: _______________________ Period: ________
Cellular Reproduction (Mitosis) Virtual Lab
1. Using the information from the Mitosis animation and the Table of Contents, in which phase of mitosis
do each of the following occur:
a. Centromeres split and chromosomes move toward opposite sides of the cell _________________
b. Chromatin coils to form visible chromosomes _____________________
c. The nuclear membrane disappears _____________________
d. Sister chromatids line up in the center of the cell ______________________
2. In which phases of mitosis are sister chromatids visible and attached to each other at the centromere?
Table 1: Normal Tissues
# of cells in
Tissue Type
Interphase
Lung Tissue
Sample 1
Lung Tissue
Sample 2
Stomach Tissue
Sample 1
Stomach Tissue
Sample 2
Ovarian Tissue
Sample 1
Ovarian Tissue
Sample 2
Table 2: Cancerous Tissues
# of cells in
Tissue Type
Interphase
Lung Tissue
Sample 1
Lung Tissue
Sample 2
Stomach Tissue
Sample 1
Stomach Tissue
Sample 2
Ovarian Tissue
Sample 1
Ovarian Tissue
Sample 2
# of cells in
Prophase
# of cells in
Metaphase
# of cells in
Anaphase
# of cells in
Telophase
# of cells in
Prophase
# of cells in
Metaphase
# of cells in
Anaphase
# of cells in
Telophase
Table 3: Normal Tissue – Mitotic Index (avg. % of cells dividing) & Avg. % of cells at rest
Tissue Type
Mitotic Index
Avg. % of cells at rest
Lung – normal
Stomach – normal
Ovarian – normal
Table 4: Cancerous Tissue – Mitotic Index (avg. % of cells dividing) & Avg. % of cells at rest
Tissue Type
Mitotic Index
Avg. % of cells at rest
Lung – cancerous
Stomach – cancerous
Ovarian – cancerous
Conclusion Questions
1. What does your data indicate about the rate of cell division in cancerous tissue compared to the rate of
cell division in normal tissue? What data tables did you use to answer this question?
2. Which type of cancer is the fastest growing? Justify your answer with information from Table 4.
3. With what you have observed in this lab, if you were to compare tissue samples from normal breast
tissue and cancerous breast tissue, would you expect to see a difference in the rate of cell division in the
cancerous tissue compared to the normal tissue? Explain your answer.
4. Consider the % of dividing cells in normal lung, normal stomach, and normal ovarian tissue. Why do you
think there are more cells dividing in the stomach and ovary than in the lung?