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The assigned reading materials do not give a very good explanation of the Cell Cycle--it leaves the impression that a cell's whole job is to reproduce. That is incorrect. Cells that do nothing but replicate are called CANCER cells. During the G1 phase, cells actually do their job--they function in the way they are supposed to: muscle cells make movement happen; sensory cells pick up stimulus; and nerve cells transmit that information to the brain, etc. G1 is the part of the cell cycle that lets us live. The S-phase and G2 phase prepare the cell to divide, and mitosis and cytokinesis divide the cell, allowing us to repair/replace old or damaged cells, and to grow. We focus on these because they are important, but cells have another, specific job to do within our bodies as well.Just an interesting and kind of mind-blowing video on this topic that one of your classmates shared and is worth a few minutes to watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQVmkDUkZT4&feature=youtu.be
It might not clarify the issue, but shows some greater depth and relevance of mitosis.
1. Differentiate the following:
Somatic cells
Germ cells
Gametes
2. What are the three (3) stages of INTERPHASE and what happens in each one?
3. What is the role of mitosis in our bodies?
4. Following mitosis, a) how does the chromosome number of the daughter cell compare with the chromosome number of the parent cell? b) What does this tell you about the daughter cells' role in the body?