5.

CELL DIVISION
The necessity for cell division in
living organism
 For growth
 For replacing dead and worn out
cells
 For reproduction in unicellular
organisms
 To produce gametes cells
Stages in cell division
 Two stages:
1. Nuclear division
- two types:
a) Mitosis
b) Meiosis
2. Cytoplasmic division (Cytokinesis)
5.1 Mitosis
The meaning of mitosis

 the process of nuclear division

which form two genetically
identical daughter cells
The Significance of Mitosis
Essential in replacing dead
cells allow damaged cell to be
repaired, replace or regenerated
increase the number of cells to
allow growth
in unicellular organism as the
basis of asexual reproduction
(binary fission). E.g. Amoeba
sp.
Chromosomes and
chromosomal number
 Chromosomes - long, fine, thread-
like structures found in the nucleus
 Builds from molecules called
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
 Every species has its own number of
chromosomes per cell to store their
heredity information
 Humans possess 46 chromosomes
 2 types of chromosomes:
2. Autosomes – controls all somatic
traits (blood group, body weight &
skin colour)
3. Sex chromosomes – determine
gender/sex
 Chromosomes in nucleus (somatic
cells) exist in pairs (diploid (2n))
 Gamete cell contain only half the
number of chromosomes (haploid (n))
 Somatic cells contain:
44 autosomes + 2 sex chromosomes
= 46 chromosomes
 Gamete cells contain:
22 autosomes + 1 sex chromosome =
23 chromosomes
 2 types of sex chromosomes:
XY – chromosomes in males
XX – chromosomes in females
Chromosomes In Human

Male Female
• Two chromosomes in each pair
have the same structural feature
(homologous chromosomes) – one
chromosomes is of paternal origin
and the other is maternal origin
The necessity for the production of
new cells identical to parent cells
 In chromosomes the DNA contains
genes which encode information for the
synthesis of protein
 Each gene is a unit of inheritance which
contain the genetic information and
must be passed on to the new cells
when the nucleus divide
 Mitosis doubles the number of cells
without changing the genetic content of
the cell
Test Yourself
1. What are chromosomes?
Answer:
- Long, fine, thread-like structures
found in the nucleus.
2. How many types of chromosomes
and what are they?
Answer:
- 2 types = autosomes and sex
chromosomes
3. How many chromosomes in human?
Answer:
- 46 = 23 pairs