Activities

1. What is the order of the phases of mitosis?
   
   
2. How many times does a cell divide in mitosis and in meiosis?
   
   
3. Siamese twins are formed when a single zygote divides but the two new cells don’t separate from one another. What part of cell division is missing in this instance?

4. Describe what makes interphase different than the other phases of cell division.
   
   
5. Plant cells and animal cells can both divide into two cells but there are two differences in their cell division. Explain these two differences.

6. Too much growth can make lots of trouble both in a city and in a human body. How could cell growth create a problem that is similar to a traffic jam?
   
   
7. The prefix cyto- refers to “cells”; -kinesis derives from the Greek word kotos, meaning “a hollow vessel.” Analyze these root words and explain how they apply to your knowledge of cytokinesis.

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase
   
   
2. Mitosis - 1 cell division
   Meiosis - 2 cell divisions

3. Cytokinesis

4. Acceptable answers include, but are not limited to:

• During interphase the DNA is not copied or moved, the cell just grows larger.

5. Acceptable answers include, but are not limited to:

• Plant cells do not have centrioles attached to their spindle fibers.
• Plant cells do not form a cleavage furrow; instead they form a cell plate.

6. Acceptable answers include, but are not limited to:

• Excessive cell growth could block blood vessels just like cars could block roads creating a traffic jam.

7. Acceptable answers include, but are not limited to:

• Cytokinesis is the division of the cell into two cells during mitosis or meiosis.
• The cells may seem to be empty which is why they would be referred to as “a hollow vessel.”