Name _____________________________________ Date _______________________ Period ____

Mitosis and Meiosis Webquest

Directions: You will explore mitosis and meiosis in an interactive Webquest, comparing and contrasting them side-by-side. First, go to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/baby/divi_text.html Follow the slides to see the two cell processes in action and answer the questions below as you follow along.

Step 1: Before We Split

Mitosis

1. _________________ is the division of a cell.

2. Mitosis results in a parent cell dividing into

two ___________________ cells.

3. A human cell contains ____ chromosomes.

Meiosis

4. Meiosis is a type of cell division specific to ______________________.

5. Each _______________________ will contain genetic information from both ___________________.

Step 2: Interphase

6. During this time, chromosomes _____________________.

7. A _______________________ is a structure within the cell that plays a part in cell reproduction.

Step 3: Prophase

Mitosis

8. During this time, each chromosome is

actually two identical copies. Each copy is

called a ____________________.

9. Label the parts of the cell:

Meiosis

10. In meiosis, the chromosomes attach to the membrane of the __________________ and then ________________ with their corresponding chromosome.

11. Enzymes cut sequences of DNA from the chromosomes, allowing an exchange of _________________ between the two.

Step 4: Prometaphase

Mitosis

12. The centrioles have now moved to

______________________ ends of the cell.

13. The spindle fibers from both of the

centrioles attach to each one of the

_________________________.

Meiosis

14. In this process, the spindle fibers from each centriole attach to one chromosome of a matching ___________________________.

15. Label the parts of the cell:

Step 5: Metaphase

Mitosis

16. The chromosomes line up on the

_________________________________, an

imaginary line that divides the cell in two.

Meiosis

17. In meiosis, the chromosome pairs line up on

_____________________ of the “imaginary

line,” not on it. Do you see the difference?

Step 6: Anaphase

Mitosis

18. The fibers pull the ____________________ toward opposite ends of the cell.

Meiosis

19. The _____________________________ separate, half moving to one end of the cell, the other half moving to the other end.

Step 7: Telophase

Mitosis

20. The chromatids arrive at opposite ends of the cell. What do they form? ____________________________________

21. Mitosis, or the _______________________

of the nucleus, is now complete.

Meiosis

22. Meisosis has the same formation as shown

in mitosis. However, the large cell will go on

to __________________ again.

Step 8: Cytokinesis

Mitosis Meiosis

23. The rest of the cell divides. The division of the cell’s _______________________ is now complete.

Step 9 (meiosis only): Interphase II

24. The chromosomes do not _________________ during this phase.

Step 10 (meiosis only): Prophase II

25. This time, the chromosomes do not attach to the ______________________________.26. Draw the cell shown (including the spindle fibers, centrioles, chromosomes, and nuclear membrane):

Step 11 (meiosis only): Prometaphase II

27. The ____________________ attach to the chromosomes, now at opposite ends of the cell.

Step 12 (meiosis only): Metaphase II

28. The chromosomes align along the _________________________ (the “invisible line” in the middle).

Step 13 (meiosis only): Anaphase II

29. The fibers pull the ______________________ apart, toward opposite ends of the cells.

Step 14 (meiosis only): Telophase II

30. The chromatids arrive at either end of the dividing cell and new ____________________________ form.31. The large cell will become an _________________ cell.

Step 15 (meiosis only): Cytokinesis

32. Cytokinesis is the division of the cell’s _______________________.

33. There are now four ________________________ cells.