This chapter presents the following content: Most cell division results in genetically identical daughter cells, the mitotic phase alternates with interphase in the cell cycle, the eukaryotic cell cycle is regulated by a molecular control system. | The Cell Cycle Chapter 12 Overview: The Key Roles of Cell Division The ability of organisms to produce more of their own kind best distinguishes living things from nonliving matter The continuity of life is based on the reproduction of cells, or cell division © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. In unicellular organisms, division of one cell reproduces the entire organism Multicellular organisms depend on cell division for Development from a fertilized cell Growth Repair Cell division is an integral part of the cell cycle, the life of a cell from formation to its own division © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Figure (a) Reproduction (b) Growth and development (c) Tissue renewal 20 m 100 m 200 m Figure The functions of cell division. Concept : Most cell division results in genetically identical daughter cells Most cell division results in daughter cells with identical genetic information, DNA The exception is meiosis, a special type of division that can produce | The Cell Cycle Chapter 12 Overview: The Key Roles of Cell Division The ability of organisms to produce more of their own kind best distinguishes living things from nonliving matter The continuity of life is based on the reproduction of cells, or cell division © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. In unicellular organisms, division of one cell reproduces the entire organism Multicellular organisms depend on cell division for Development from a fertilized cell Growth Repair Cell division is an integral part of the cell cycle, the life of a cell from formation to its own division © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Figure (a) Reproduction (b) Growth and development (c) Tissue renewal 20 m 100 m 200 m Figure The functions of cell division. Concept : Most cell division results in genetically identical daughter cells Most cell division results in daughter cells with identical genetic information, DNA The exception is meiosis, a special type of division that can produce sperm and egg cells © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Cellular Organization of the Genetic Material All the DNA in a cell constitutes the cell’s genome A genome can consist of a single DNA molecule (common in prokaryotic cells) or a number of DNA molecules (common in eukaryotic cells) DNA molecules in a cell are packaged into chromosomes © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Eukaryotic chromosomes consist of chromatin, a complex of DNA and protein that condenses during cell division Every eukaryotic species has a characteristic number of chromosomes in each cell nucleus Somatic cells (nonreproductive cells) have two sets of chromosomes Gametes (reproductive cells: sperm and eggs) have half as many chromosomes as somatic cells © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Distribution of Chromosomes During Eukaryotic Cell Division In preparation for cell division, DNA is replicated and the chromosomes condense Each duplicated chromosome has two sister chromatids (joined copies of the original .
