Mitosis by Luke

 In our Advanced Biology Classroom, we are currently learning about Mitosis and how cells reproduce. Mitosis is an asexual form of reproduction because the DNA comes from one parent cell. Binary fission is another form of asexual reproduction and it it occurs in prokaryotic cells. Mitosis is a relatively short process compared to interphase and it is comprised of four sections. I found this interesting because cells spend most of their life only performing basic functions.

The first stage of mitosis is Prophase, during this stage the chromatin become visible and spindle fibers and centrioles form. The next stage is Metaphase, this is when the chromosomes line up in the middle of the cell and the spindle fibers attach to them. Anaphase is when the chromatids are separated and they are moving towards the end of the cell. Finally, Telophase is when the chromatids reach the poles of the cell and membranes form around them. Also the centrioles and spindle fibers break down and cytokinesis occurs. Cytokinesis is different for animal and plant cells because plant cells create a cell wall along with membrane that is formed.

 At the end of Mitosis, two identical cells with the exact DNA are created, unless a mutation occurs. Mutation is rare though because the cell has checkpoints before mitosis to stop mutations like cancer.

Question: Mitosis is one of the many forms of cellular reproduction, but are there any negative aspects to mitosis compared to sexual reproduction?

3 Facts About Cell Reproduction:

1.    Meiosis is another way cells can produce

2.    Humans have 46 chromosomes

3.    Adders-tongue has 1260 chromosomes