Preview

Meiosis and Mitosis Essay Example

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
752 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Meiosis and Mitosis Essay Example
Mitosis and meiosis are the means by which reproduction takes place. Mitosis creates an exact duplicate of cell so that old cells can be replaced, such as in skin, hair, and bones. Meiosis allows a cell to unite one half of its genetic makeup with a cell from another partner to create an entirely new organism.
Mitosis
Mitosis is the process by which two daughter cells are formed, each containing a complete set of chromosomes. Mitosis is the process by which an organism creates new cells, such as skin or bone. There are two parts to a cell's life – interphase and mitosis. Interphase is the normal life of the cell when all of the growth and metabolism processes take place. Mitosis happens after interphase is complete and produces an exact replica of the parent cell. There are four steps in mitosis where the cell itself goes through different stages of change. These steps are called prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase.

During Prophase the chromatin coils to form visible chromosomes. In early prophase, the DNA and centrioles duplicate. In middle prophase the centrioles make microtubules that attach to the DNA. In late prophase, the spindle is formed. The chromosomes start to move toward the center of the cell.

The chromosomes line up on the equator of the spindle in metaphase. The spindle, made of microtubules connecting the chromosomes to the centrioles, begins to pull on the DNA strands.

Anaphase is the next step. Now, in anaphase the DNA strands split and the sister chromatids, one half of each DNA strand, are pulled apart to the centrioles at the opposite ends of the cell.

Telophase is the final phase or mitosis. During telophase, the plasma membrane pinches the cell and forms two completely separate cells that are exact duplicates of the parent cell.

There are now two new daughter cells, each with its own nucleus.

Meiosis
Meiosis is a type of cell division where one body cell produces four gametes, each

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    BSC2085L Anatomy Quiz 1

    • 550 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Anaphase – the centromeres split in half and the chromotids of a pair are pulled by the spindle fibers towards…

    • 550 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    LabPaq mitios

    • 520 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Mitosis is easily observed in cells that are growing at a rapid pace such as whitefish blastula or onion root tips, which was used in this lab experiment. The root tips contain and area called the apical meristem that has the highest percentage of cells undergoing mitosis. The whitefish blastula is formed directly after the egg is fertilized. This is a period of rapid growth and numerous cellular divisions where mitosis can be observed. In mitosis the cell is in interphase, and have a distinct nucleus and nucleoli where the thin threads of chromatin thicken into distinct chromosomes and the nuclear evvelope breaks open releasing them into the cytoplasm. The firs signs of the spindle begin to appear, next the cell begins metaphase, where the spindle attaches to the Centromere of each chromosome and moves them to the same level in the middle of the cell. This level position is called the metaphase plate. Anaphase begins when the chromatids are separated and pulled to opposite poles, then the final stage is telophase. The nuclear envelope is reformed and the chromosomes gradually uncoil. Cytokinesis may occur, in which, a cleavage furrow will form and the two daughter cells will separate. Meiosis is more complex and involves two nuclear divisions. The…

    • 520 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    10. Cyclins - Any proteins that are associated with the cycle of cell division with mitosis…

    • 352 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Bio 1201 Notes

    • 2497 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Chromosome pairs line on equator of spindle * Kinetochores of sister chromatids are attached to fibers going to the same pole * Anaphase I * Homologous chromosome pairs separate * Sister chromatids remain together * Telophase I *…

    • 2497 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    BIO 310 Homework 3

    • 917 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Mitosis The production of two daughter cells that are identical to the parent cell. Parent cell=haploid, daughter cell=haploid. Parent cell=diploid, daughter cell=diploid.…

    • 917 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Chapter 3: Cells

    • 784 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Mitosis is a process in which cells replicate their DNA to create new cells that are genetically identical. The DNA is propagated throughout the new cells and the genetic information is “immortalized”.…

    • 784 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Lab 2 Biology

    • 586 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The spindle fibers begin to split the chromatids in two. Equal halves of the chromosomes are the result…

    • 586 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Potato Osmosis Lab

    • 3353 Words
    • 14 Pages

    Approaching the end of the process, anaphase is the point in which the paired chromosomes begin being dragged by the spindle fibers towards the poles. Eventually, during telophase the fibers disappear and the cell has been stretched, in preparation for cell division. Part of the parent cells membrane surrounds the new daughter cells, as the newly generated organelles move inside the daughter cells and the chromosomes move into the newly developed nuclei and the cell…

    • 3353 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    On the other hand, there are many contrasts such that there is only one cell division in mitosis as there is two cell divisions in meiosis. These phases are called meiosis one and meiosis two. Another contrast is that mitosis produces only two daughter cells whereas meiosis produces four haploid daughter cells. These daughter cells come out exactly the same in mitosis but not in meiosis because the chromosomes exchange DNA strips with one another and four daughter cells are produced to mix the DNA. Typically, mitosis is a form of reproduction in prokaryotic organisms because they only have one cell whereas meiosis is a form of reproduction in eukaryotic organisms because they have many cells. In other words, mitosis is a form of asexual reproduction where one cell splits and forms two new cells and meiosis is a form of sexual reproduction that requires the union of a sperm and egg for this process to occur.…

    • 425 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Biology Review Guide

    • 1110 Words
    • 5 Pages

    2. In 2-4 sentences compare and contrast mitosis and meiosis including the steps, purpose and products. Mitosis and meiosis are types of nuclear division that make different types of cells. Mitosis makes diploid cells that are genetically identical. It takes place throughout an organism’s lifetime and is involved in asexual reproduction. During meiosis, diploid cells undergo 2 cell divisions that result in 4 haploid cells. Meiosis occurs in sex cells, produces gametes, increases genetic diversity and produces genetically unique cells. It takes place only at certain times in an organism’s life cycle and is involved in sexual reproduction.…

    • 1110 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Meiosis Lab

    • 592 Words
    • 3 Pages

    To investigate the processes of mitosis and meiosis. Cells come from previous existing cells. New cells are formed by cell division, which involves karyokinesis and cytokinesis. Karyokinesis is the division of the cell's nucleus and cytokinesis is the division of the cytoplasm. Mitosis and meiosis are the two types of nuclear division. Mitosis results in body cells: the formation of an adult organism from a fertilized egg, regeneration, asexual reproduction, and maintenance or repair of body parts. All of this happens through mitotic cell division. Meiosis results in formation of gametes (in animals) or spores (in plants). Their cells have half the chromosome number of the parent cell. Meristems are…

    • 592 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Cell Growth and Division

    • 384 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Mitosis is the process by which the nucleus of the cell is divided into two nuclei, each with the same number and kinds of chromosomes as the parent cell.…

    • 384 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Eukaryotic Cell Cycle

    • 392 Words
    • 2 Pages

    There is two stages in M-phase; the first stage is called mitosis. Mitosis is the nuclear division of the cell, separating the two copies of the genome and forming daughter nuclei. There are four stages in mitosis: prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. Multiple changes occur in prophase including the coiling of the chromatin into chromosomes, the disappearance of the nuclear envelope and nucleoli, the migration of the centrosomes toward opposite poles and the construction of spindle apparatus, which are composed of protein fibers called microtubules. The next stage is called metaphase, where the chromosomes line up at the middle of the cell because the microtubules push and pull them there. The third stage, anaphase, consists of sister chromatids separating and being pulled toward opposite poles. The last phase of mitosis is telophase, which is when the chromosomes uncoil resulting in chromatin. During telophase two new nuclear enveloped appear and spindle apparatus breaks down (Mrs. Weiland, 11/19/15).…

    • 392 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Meiosis Worksheet

    • 433 Words
    • 2 Pages

    On the lines provided, order the different stages of meiosis I THROUGH meiosis II, including interphase in the proper sequence.…

    • 433 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Essay On Meiosis

    • 418 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Meiosis I begins with Prophase I. In Prophase I, the chromatin becomes smaller and creates chromosomes. The pair of chromosomes are known as sister chromatids that are joined together at the center which is called the centromere. Spindles also form during the phase from long proteins called microtubules on both sides of the cell. After this, crossing over occurs and breaks then reconnects DNA to make a new combination of genes. Metaphase I is when the chromosomes line up on both sides of the middle of the cell then during Anaphase I the spindle fibers pull the homologous chromosomes away from each other and toward the outside of the cell. By Telophase I, the cell goes through the process of Cytokinesis which divides the cytoplasm of the parent cell and makes two daughter cells. Each of them is a haploid cell and has only half the number of chromosomes as…

    • 418 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays