2. Interphase is when the genetic material is
copied in order to prepare for the splitting of
the cell so that the resulting cells have the
same genetic information.
3. During prophase the DNA condenses into
chromosomes, each chromosome has two
parts: the original part, and the copied part.
Each part is considered a chromatid, but
both pairs together is a chromosome. Each
pair of chromatids are linked together in the
center by a centromere, spindle fibers
attached to centrioles attach to these
centromeres. The nuclear envelope then
disappears.
4. The chromosomes line up in the middle, or
the equator of the cell. Each pair of
chromosomes have spindle fibers attached to
them from both sides of the two poles. They
are preparing to split.
5. The chromosomes are split in half; the
spindle fibers from the opposite poles pull
the pair of chromatids apart and they are
pulled towards their side of the cell. Each
cell gets a complete set, and every
chromosome is split in half.
6. Since these two phases are closely
connected, it’s usually hard to differentiate
the two. In telophase the chromatids are
fully separated and dragged to their sides of
the cell. The nuclear membrane reappears
around each set of chromosomes.
7. Prokaryotes Eukaryotes
Replicate genetic material Replicate genetic material
Each copy attaches to a different
part of the cell membrane
Condenses genetic material into
chromosmes and breaks nuclear
membrane
Lines up chromosomes in the
middle of the cell
Cells begin to pull apart or
separate
Separates chromosomes and
pulls chromatids towards
opposite ends of the cell
Cells split into two identical
daughter cells
Cells split into two identical
daughter cells and nuclear
envelope reforms around each
full set of chromosomes
8. Mitosis takes place within somatic cells, while
Meiosis takes place within sex cells
Mitosis results in two daughter cells, while
Meiosis results in four haploid cells
A mitotic mother cell can either be haploid or
diploid, while a meiotic mother cell can only be
diploid
Crossing over does not occur in Mitosis, as it does
in Meiosis at least once
After Mitosis, each daughter cell has the same
DNA strands, while after Meiosis, each daughter
cell has only half of the DNA strands
9. Prokaryotes do not have mitosis or meiosis
because they lack a nucleus which is
essential in mitosis and meiosis. Without a
nucleus, the process of mitosis or meiosis
cannot occur.
10. Crossover cannot occur between two
different chromosomes because they are too
far away from each other. In order for
crossover to occur, the chromosomes need to
be side by side so they can neatly crossover
to the other chromosome. Otherwise,
everything would get mixed up and crossover
would not occur properly.
11. It was not necessary for meiosis and sexual
reproduction to evolve at the same.
Although meiosis goes hand-in-hand with
sexual reproduction, it could evolve before
sexual reproduction and not much would
change. The same process would still occur
and everything would run smoothly. Meiosis
does not require sexual reproduction until
later stages in its division, so sexual
reproduction does not need to evolve yet. It
does not make much of a difference whether
they evolve at the same time or not, as long
as they are available at the proper times.
