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Cell Growth and Division

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Cell Growth and Division
3/21/2012

Cell Growth & Division Essay
Kate Nogler
Mr.Lapointe

When a living thing grows, it produces more cells through a process called cell division. Cell division is necessary for any growing eukaryotic cell structure. Cells divide through a system called the cell cycle. It is a complicated and crucial part of anatomy! Before a cell divides, it must grow. However, a cell can’t grow forever. Once a cell gets too big, it divides itself into two daughter cells. A cell divides because the larger a cell becomes, the more demands it places on its DNA. Also, larger cells have trouble moving nutrients and waste across the cell membrane. As previously stated, cells divide through the cell cycle. The cell cycle, by definition, is the process by which a cell divides into two new “daughter” cells. During the process, the cell grows, prepares for division, and divides to form two daughter cells. Once divided, each of the daughter cells begins the process by itself. The cell cycle is split into four phases called G1, S, G2, and M. Interphase is the time period between cell division. Interphase is composed of the phases G1, S, and G2. In the first phase, G1, the cell does most of its growing, increases in size, and synthesizes new proteins and organelles. In the next phase, S, a cell replicates its chromosomes, new DNA molecules are produced, and a cell replicates it’s chromosomes. In the final stage of interphase, G2, a cell gets ready to divide and the organelles and molecules needed for cell division are produced. After interphase, the cell begins mitosis. The mitosis stage is made up of four smaller phases. The phases, in order, are prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. During prophase, the chromatin condense into chromosomes, the centrioles separate, the nuclear envelope breaks down, and a spindle begins to form from centrioles. In the next stage, metaphase, the chromosomes line up across the center of the cell, and each chromosome connects

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