CHAPTER 5 : Binary Fission, Mitosis and Meiosis

I. BINARY FISSION
 A process occurring in bacteria which is a rapid mode of reproduction among
prokaryotes
 Each bacterium carries only one copy of its chromosome that is duplicated
before the cell divides to form two daughter cells.
 The mother cell elongates causing the movement of each chromosome towards
both ends and a cross wall or a septum is created in the center of the cell that
finally brings about division to form two daughter cells.
 The creation of the two daughter cells is the first generation. Soon, each
daughter cell grows to become mother cells themselves, replicating their
chromosomes, elongating, and dividing to produce four daughter cells in the
second generation.
 The population doubles its number rapidly after each generation creating more
than one million cells after 24 hours.

II. MITOSIS

G1 phase:
 Prepares the cell for synthesis
 Increase in synthesis of proteins and enzymes

S phase
 Replicates the DNA; takes place in the nucleus

G2 phase
 RNA synthesis
 Increase of protein synthesis
 Presence of organelles
 Increases the size of the cell

G0 phase
 Will not proceed to cell division
 Brain cells and muscle cells are in stuck in this phase
 Blood cell also do not undergo cell division; synthesizes from the bone marrow

A. Mitosis in Plants

a. Interphase

 Cell is actively undergoing respiration

 Synthesis of RNA, DNA and protein in preparation for mitosis

b. Prophase
 Chromatin condenses to become chromosomes
 Nuclear membrane begins to breakdown, chromosomes are distributed
in the cytoplasm as a coiled mass
 Each chromosome is doubled and is composed of two separate strands,
the sister chromatids. The two sister chromatid are identical, one being
 made up of DNA copied from the original DNA of the other. They are
joined together at a region of attachment called the centromere. Each
chromatid contains a disc-kinetochore which projects the spindle to the
two poles of the cell.

c. Metaphase
 Chromatids begin to align in one at the center (metaphase plate) of the
cell
 Nuclear membrane has completely disintegrated

d. Anaphase
 Pair of chromatids are pulled by microtubules to opposite poles of the
cell
 Anaphase ends when separated chromatids (now called chromosomes)
arrive at opposite poles

e. Telophase
 Karyokinesis is completed
 A cell plate starts as a fine line across the center of a cell. When complete,
the cell plate divides the original cell into two daughter cells
 Nuclei begin to re-organize; chromosomes uncoil and become longer and
thinner. The nuclear membrane begins to re-form and nucleoli reappear.

Mitosis ends with the assembly of two interphase nuclei, each one with one complete set
of single stranded chromosomes. A cell plate is formed to divide cells.

B. Mitosis in Animals

The blastula is an early embryonic stage in the development of a

fertilized egg. The embryo at this stage is essentially a disc of cells
undergoing successive mitotic divisions.

a. Interphase
 A nucleolus is present
 Adjacent to the nuclear membrane is a cytoplasmic organelle
called centrosome (or cell center) containing the centrioles

b. Prophase
 Karyokinesis begins
 As contrast to plant cells, two pairs of centrioles are organized
within the centrosome.
 Microtubules radiate from each pair of centrioles, forming a
configuration called aster
 With the disappearance of the nuclear membrane, the region
between the asters, the spindle, become visible.

c. Metaphase
 Chromosomes move toward the central region of the spindle to
form the metaphase plate
 d. Anaphase
 Pairs of chromatids are pulled apart by the microtubules of the
spindle and become daughter chromosomes, after which they are
pulled toward the poles of the cell

e. Telophase
 Spindle disappears, two daughter nuclei are organized, the
nucleoli appear, and the nuclear membranes are formed by
fusion of parts of the endoplasmic reticulum
 Cytoplasm becomes deeply furrowed, or pinched in between the
two nuclei, and cytokinesis takes place. Which results to two
daughter cells having equivalent nuclear contents and equal
amounts of cytoplasm.

The cleavage furrow forms to divide the cells.

III. MEIOSIS

Meiosis maintains the chromosome number constant for most species of plants and
animals and provides a mean of genetic variability because of crossing over and the
subsequent exchange of genetic material. It takes place in the transition from
sporophytic (2n) to gametophytic (n) tissue in plants and formation of gametes in
animals.

A. Meiosis I

a. Prophase I
 Homologous chromosomes, each with two chromatids, lie adjacent to
one another (synapse), form bivalents or tetrads, and exchange
genetic components called crossing over.
 Bivalents are homologous, one member derived from each parent,
and can be matched on the basis of the genes that they may carry.

Prophase can be divided into phases as follows:

1. Leptotene – chromosomes are long, thin, optically single thread with

little coiling
2. Zygotene – homologous chromosomes begin to pair
3. Pachytene – crossing over is manifested by ‘X’ arrangements
(chiasmata) of portions of homologous chromosomes
4. Diplotene – chromosomes tend to clump in the center of the cell
5. Diakinesis – chromosomes pairs as well separated through the cell. The
nucleolus generally disappears

b. Metaphase I
 Homologous chromosomes line up side by side at the center of
the cell. Nuclear membrane breaks down and the spindle forms.

c. Anaphase I
 Homologous chromosomes in each pair separate from each other
and move to opposite poles of the cell. Since this is a separation
of chromosomes and not of chromatids, the chromosomes
 content of cells at the end of this phase is reduced from diploid to
haploid.
d. Telophase I
 Chromosomes are regrouped at the poles as in mitosis. This stage
is often eliminated

B. Meiosis II

a. Prophase II
 Occurs rapidly
 Essentially with contraction and coiling of the chromosomes

b. Metaphase II
 Chromosomes line up at the center of the cell

c. Anaphase II
 Sister kinetochores move separately to the poles, pulling with them
the chromatids to which they are attached

d. Telophase II
 Interphase nuclei are reconstituted and cell walls are laid down to
give four cells known as tetrad