Mitosis and cytokinesis of animal cells

How does nuclear and cellular replication take place?

Abstract

Mitosis and cytokinesis of animal cells is a POGIL learning cycle activity designed for introductory biology students at the college or university level. Many vital biological processes that require cellular reproduction depend upon the ability of somatic or “body-belonging” cells to precisely replicate their nuclei in a process called mitosis. Here, students will build upon their existing knowledge of chromosomal biology and cytoskeleton function by examining how a eukaryotic cell prepares for mitosis during interphase, describe which structures change in number during the five subphases of mitosis within a cell, and study the cytoplasmic division of a cell by cytokinesis. This activity is important for undergraduate students interested in careers in medicine, allied health care professions, and biomedical research as processes such as development, growth, and wound healing all depend on the precise changes that take place during mitosis and cytokinesis.

Level: Undergraduate
Setting: Classroom
Activity Type: Learning Cycle
Discipline: Biology
Course: Introductory Biology
Keywords: mitosis, cytokinesis, animal cell, cellular reproduction, somatic cell, chromosome, cytoskeleton, eukaryote, interphase