Growth, repair and reproduction. These are key to life.
Your body is constantly dyeing and being replaced. The cells on the top layer of your skin right now, will be gone and replaced by new skin cells over time.
The process to the left is Mitosis. It shows the parental cell, dividing into 2 genetically identical daughter cells.
Identical cell division.
Its here that the cells DNA doubles and 2 identical cells are created.
Mitosis
Amazingly, we can actually see chromosomes using only a light microscope. However this can only be done during cellular replication. This is because the chromosomes condense (packed really tightly) prior to division. Normally they are loosely packed in the nucleus.
Prior to Mitosis, the cell goes through a growth and preparation phase called
Interphase
We can break mitosis up into different phases.
Prophase
Metaphase
Anaphase
Telophase.
Before we start talking about cellular replication, there are a few components of a cell you should know.
The spindle fibres extend from the Centrioles and attached to the chromosomes. They then pull the chromosomes to each side of the cell.
1. Before mitosis, the chromosomes replicate (interphase).
2. The nucleus breaks down and the chromosomes condense and are now visible.
3. The chromosomes line up along the equator (centre).
4. The spindle fibres extend and pulls each copy of the chromosome to the ends.
5. A new nuclear membrane forms around the DNA, and cell divides into two.
