Part A: Animal Cell Mitosis
1. Go to www.cellsalive.com
2. Click on Mitosis on the left side of the screen
3. Click on PLAY and watch the animation in the center of the screen.
4. Click on PLAY again, watch the video in the RED BOX.
5. Click on PLAY 2 MORE times and watch the animation and the video again.
6. Now you will look at the phases of mitosis step by step. Click on the PLAY button to reset
the animation so that only 1 cell is showing.
7. Answer the questions below, using CORRECT VOCABULARY.
Click on the STEP forward button 5 times
1. What phase is the cell going through and what do you see occurring?
2. What is the large, light blue circular structure in the middle of the cell?
3. What will happen to this structure as the cycle continues?
Click on the STEP forward button 10 times
4. Draw the animated cell and label the following parts:
a. Centrioles
b. Spindle Fibers
c. Sister Chromatids
d. Centromeres
Click on the STEP forward button 10 times
5. What phase is the cell going through and what do you see occurring?
Click on the STEP forward button 10 times
6. What phase is the cell going through and what do you see occurring?
Click on the STEP forward button 20 times
7. What phase of mitosis is just about to begin and what would you expect to see happen next?
Click on the STEP forward button 5 times
8. What two phases are happening at the same time now?
9. What are the light blue and dark blue circles that appear to be forming at each end?
Click on the STEP forward button 10 times
10. Describe what is happening during CYTOKINESIS, the last stage of cellular division.
Part B: Online Onion Root Tip
In this activity, you will be presented with cells from the tip of an onion root. You will classify
each cell based on what phase it is in. At the end you will count up the cells found in each phase
and use those numbers to predict how much time a dividing cell spends in each phase. You can
base your calculations on a total cell cycle of 24 hours.
1. Click on the following link to begin counting each phase:
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/cell_bio/activities/cell_cycle/cell_cycle.html
2. Click “Next” and review the phases of mitosis.
3. Click “Next” and read the directions. You will record your data in the data chart below.
4. Click “Next” and click on the correct phase that each picture belongs to.
5. Count the number of cells for each phase and record in data chart.
6. Calculate the percentage of cells:
# of cells
Total # of cells
X 100 = % of cells
Data Chart
Interphase
Prophase
Metaphase
Anaphase
Telophase
Number of
cells
Percent of
Cells
Total # of
cells
36
100%
Analysis Questions
1. Which phase requires the longest time for completion? ____________________________
2. Which phase requires the second longest time for completion? ______________________
3. Which phase requires the shortest time for completion? ____________________________
Part C: Normal vs Cancerous Chicken Stomach Cell
Table: Time for mitosis of normal and cancerous chicken stomach cells (in minutes)
Interphase
Prophase
Metaphase
Anaphase
Telophase
Normal Chicken Stomach Cells
(minutes)
540
60
10
3
12
Cancerous Chicken Stomach
Cells (minutes)
380
45
10
3
10
The above table shows average times required for normal and cancerous chicken stomach cells to
complete mitosis.
4. In a normal chicken cell, which phase requires the longest time for completion?
5. In normal chicken cells, which phase requires the second longest time for completion?
6. How do your answers to questions 4 and 5 compare to the answers to questions 1 and 2 of
Part B (onion root tip) above?
7. What is the total time needed for a normal chicken stomach cell to complete mitosis?
(Total up the time in minutes for each phase)
8. What is the total time needed for a cancerous chicken stomach cell to complete mitosis?
9. How do cancer cells differ from normal cells in total time required for mitosis?
10. How do cancer cells differ from normal cells in time spent for each phase?
Part D: Mitosis in Two Normal Living Organisms
Table: Time Needed for Mitosis (in minutes)
Salamander Kidney Cells
Pea Root Cells
Prophase
60
80
Metaphase
50
40
Anaphase
6
4
Telophase
70
12
Total
186
135
11. The table above shows the length of time (in minutes) needed for mitosis to occur in 2
different living organisms. Why might the total time for each organism to complete mitosis
be different? _____________________________________________________________
On the lines below, color code and label the events in the cell cycle that correspond with the
numbers in the diagram: