Cell division GapFill

The  cell structuregenetic sequencecell cycleDNA circle is used to determine when eukaryotic cells divide and when they grow. It has three main stages:

Mitosis has several distinct stages which can be recognised by studying the behaviour of the genetic material. In  prophasechromophasetelophaseinterphase, chromosomes condense, the  cell-surface membranenuclear envelopemitochondrioncytoplasm breaks down and spindle fibres form. During  interphaseanaphasecentrophasemetaphase, spindle fibres align the sister chromatids along the centre of the cell, and one chromatid from each pair is pulled to opposite poles of the cell in  anaphasetelophasecytokinesismetaphase. In  telophaseanaphaseinterphaseprophase, chromosomes disperse into  allelesgenesglycolipidschromatin, spindle fibres disintegrate and the nuclear envelope reforms.

If mitosis is not controlled properly, then an organism may develop  infertilitycancerdiabetesliposis, during which masses of abnormal cells, called  tumoursblebstissuesvesicles, can form. This is often treated by attempting to control the rate of mitosis, or disrupting certain stages.

Prokaryotes replicate their genetic material, and then divide by  cytokinesismitosismonofusionbinary fission. The  cell wallcytoplasmchloroplastnuclear envelope is pinched inwards, and some daughter cells may receive an unequal number of  mitochondriachloroplastschromosomesplasmids.

In contrast, viruses rely on other organisms to replicate, as they cannot undergo cell division. They inject their nucleic acid into a  blood vesselprovider cellprey cellhost cell, which then produces virus particles, and may be damaged in the process.