Unpacked Content
Scientific and Engineering Practices
Developing and Using Models
Crosscutting Concepts
Systems and System Models
Knowledge
Students know:
- The phases of the cell cycle (Interphase-G1, S, and G2 phases, Mitosis and cytokenisis), the amount of time spent in each cycle and what occurs during each cycle.
- The process of cell cycle regulation.
- Mechanisms, checkpoints and signaling factor molecules that regulate the cell cycle.
Skills
Students are able to:
- Generate a graphic illustrating the amount of time a cell spends in each phase of the cell cycle.
- Observe video, image or microscope slide and identify cells in each phase, relative abundance, and estimate the time spent in each phase.
- Obtain and communicate information about the relationship between the cell cycle and the growth and maintenance of an organism.
- Illustrate chromosome behavior during mitosis using chromosome models.
- Distinguish between replicated and un-replicated chromosomes.
- Demonstrate the events and cellular processes involved in each stage of mitosis.
- Investigate the impact of errors in the process of cell division.
- Identify the basic mechanisms, checkpoints, and general categories of signaling factor molecules (both internal and external).
- Relate errors in control mechanisms to uncontrolled cell growth (cancer).
Understanding
Students understand that:
- The cell cycle is necessary for growth and maintenance in multi-cellular organisms.
- Mitosis only makes somatic (body) cells.
- Errors in control mechanisms within the cell cycle lead to uncontrolled cell growth (cancer).
Vocabulary
- Cell cycle
- Chromosome
- Somatic cell
- Chromatin
- Spindle fibers
- Kinetochore microtubules
- Centrioles
- Centrosome
- Centromere
- Sister chromatids
- Mitosis
- Prometaphase
- Prophase
- Metaphase
- Metaphase plate
- Anaphase
- Telophase
- Cytokinesis
- Cell plate
- Cleavage furrow
- Interphase
- S phase
- G1
- G2
- Growth
- Maintenance
- Checkpoints
- Signaling factors
