Lab 5 BIO101
L
Mitosis
Student Name:
Access Code (located on the lid of your lab kit):
Lab Report Format Expectations
Utilize college level grammar and professional formaṄng when completing this worksheet.
Pre-Lab Questions
1. Chromosomes are made primarily of what two components? Be specific.
Chromosomes are made mainly of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and proteins called
histones, which together form a complex called chromatin.
2. What are the differences between mitosis and binary fission? Identify at least one
difference, and explain why it is significant.
Mitosis is a highly regulated process of cell division in eukaryotes with distinct phases
(prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase, and cytokinesis) that ensures accurate
distribution of duplicated chromosomes. Binary fission, used by prokaryotes, is a
simpler, single-step process without the complex structure and regulation seen in
mitosis. This difference is significant because the complexity of mitosis is essential for
maintaining genetic stability in multicellular organisms.
3. Cancer is a disease related to uncontrolled cell division. Investigate two known causes for
these rapidly dividing cells.
Uncontrolled cell division in cancer can be caused by genetic mutations in tumor
suppressor genes (such as p53) or oncogenes, and by exposure to carcinogens like
certain chemicals or ionizing radiation, which damage DNA and disrupt normal cell cycle
regulation.
, Lab 5 BIO101
L
Mitosis
EXPERIMENT 1: OBSERVATION OF MITOSIS IN A PLANT CELL
Introduction Questions
1. What is the objective of Experiment 1?
The objective is to observe the different stages of mitosis in plant cells (specifically,
onion root tip cells) and to determine which phase occupies the longest period of the
cell cycle.
2. Predict the results you expect to see and enter them into Table 1, below. Explain why
you predicted those results.
I predict that interphase will be the longest phase because cells spend most of their time
growing, replicating DNA, and preparing for division rather than in the actual division
phases. This is a common observation in many eukaryotic cells, where interphase
dominates the cell cycle.
Table 1: Mitosis Predictions: Longest Cell Cycle Phase
Prediction: Longest Interphase
Phase
Cells spend the majority of their life cycle in interphase
Supporting
carrying out normal functions and preparing for
Evidence
division.
L
Mitosis
Student Name:
Access Code (located on the lid of your lab kit):
Lab Report Format Expectations
Utilize college level grammar and professional formaṄng when completing this worksheet.
Pre-Lab Questions
1. Chromosomes are made primarily of what two components? Be specific.
Chromosomes are made mainly of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and proteins called
histones, which together form a complex called chromatin.
2. What are the differences between mitosis and binary fission? Identify at least one
difference, and explain why it is significant.
Mitosis is a highly regulated process of cell division in eukaryotes with distinct phases
(prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase, and cytokinesis) that ensures accurate
distribution of duplicated chromosomes. Binary fission, used by prokaryotes, is a
simpler, single-step process without the complex structure and regulation seen in
mitosis. This difference is significant because the complexity of mitosis is essential for
maintaining genetic stability in multicellular organisms.
3. Cancer is a disease related to uncontrolled cell division. Investigate two known causes for
these rapidly dividing cells.
Uncontrolled cell division in cancer can be caused by genetic mutations in tumor
suppressor genes (such as p53) or oncogenes, and by exposure to carcinogens like
certain chemicals or ionizing radiation, which damage DNA and disrupt normal cell cycle
regulation.
, Lab 5 BIO101
L
Mitosis
EXPERIMENT 1: OBSERVATION OF MITOSIS IN A PLANT CELL
Introduction Questions
1. What is the objective of Experiment 1?
The objective is to observe the different stages of mitosis in plant cells (specifically,
onion root tip cells) and to determine which phase occupies the longest period of the
cell cycle.
2. Predict the results you expect to see and enter them into Table 1, below. Explain why
you predicted those results.
I predict that interphase will be the longest phase because cells spend most of their time
growing, replicating DNA, and preparing for division rather than in the actual division
phases. This is a common observation in many eukaryotic cells, where interphase
dominates the cell cycle.
Table 1: Mitosis Predictions: Longest Cell Cycle Phase
Prediction: Longest Interphase
Phase
Cells spend the majority of their life cycle in interphase
Supporting
carrying out normal functions and preparing for
Evidence
division.
