Cell Division & DNA
All cells need to divide so that an organism can grow and reproduce. There are 2 main kinds of cell division, Mitosis and Meiosis. You need to have a general over view of what happens in both kinds of cell division. In addition you need to be able to explain how DNA replicates. This is because each new cell will need a copy of "instructions" so that it can function, so before a cell can divide, it will need to copy (replicate) its DNA.
The cell's life cycle |
Most of the time cells are busy doing their own thing... carrying out their functions/everyday life. But when a cell ages or gets too large the cell needs to divide, but this is quite a small portion of the proper life. So it is important to understand a little bit about the normal daily life of a cell... the cell's life cycle. The following is a clip that runs for about 7 minutes to explain the life cycle of cells, and the links between cell division and cancers.
Before a cell can divide, it has to replicate it's DNA
This needs to happen because each new cell will need it's own exact copy of DNA. Otherwise it wont be able to carry out it's main functions and the cell will not function properly.
What is DNA?
This clip below explains the structure of DNA and will help you understand the terms used as DNA is replicated
Advanced detail on DNA replication:
Bozeman explains the details of DNA at merit and excellence level for you here:
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In this clip, Bozeman explains in detail how DNA replicates itself using the base pair rule.
The next clip is a bit more in depth and explains how each side of the DNA molecule is replicated in a slightly different way. This is because the two DNA strands run in opposite directions, like they "Top and Tail". This is called being "antiparallel"
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Below is a link to a reading about cell division