03.01 Cell Division
Summary
Puppies increase in size as their cells grow and divide. Almost all cells complete a full cell cycle that includes interphase and cell division. In interphase, cells serve their specialized functions, grow, and copy their genetic material. Mitosis is the first stage of cell division, in which the copied chromosomes are separated into two new nuclei. Then in cytokinesis the cell divides into two daughter cells. If no mutations or errors occur, the genetic material in each daughter cell is identical to what was in the original cell.
Now that you have completed this lesson, you should be able to:
describe the stages of the cell cycle
explain the process of mitosis and its role in the formation of new cells
describe the structure of a chromosome
follow chromosomes through the processes of mitosis and cytokinesis
If you do not feel comfortable with these topics, go back and review the lesson before attempting your assignment.
Now it is time to complete the assessment for this lesson. Contact your instructor if you have questions or need additional help.

Virtual Lab Activity
In this virtual lab activity, you will be observing the cell cycle in the tip of an onion root. The root tip is responsible for the downward growth of the root and is one of the regions in the plant where cells are actively dividing and growing. Because of this, the root tip is an excellent system in which to observe the entire cell cycle, including the processes of nuclear division (mitosis) and cell division (cytokinesis).
View the instructions.
Complete the Lab Report.