Modeling Mitosis
Investigation 1
Hypothesis
If a model of mitosis is built out of oreo cookies then your sprinkles will represent the spindle fibers, centrioles, nucleus, and chromosomes and your oreo will represent the cell membrane.
Materials
1. Original Oreos (6)
2. Sprinkles
3. Paper Towel
Procedures
1. Gather all of your materials (oreos, sprinkles, and paper towels)
2. Grab your paper towel and make sure it is big enough to spread your 6 oreos on top of the paper towel.
3. Gather all 6 of your oreos and SLOWLY/CAREFULLY pull them apart from one another and make sure the white stuffing remains all on ONE side.
4. Put aside the plain brown oreo piece in the edge of the paper towel because it won't be necessary throughout this lab.
5. Begin to spread out the oreo half that contains the white stuffing on top in a straight line across the paper towel.
6. Carefully begin to create the phases of mitosis on your oreo pieces with the white stuffing and try to make it as detailed as possible.
7. Once you have completed that phases of mitosis on the oreos make sure to line them up in order.
8. Record your data (take a photo), and for your own convenience label your phases.
9. Once you have gathered your data you may eat the oreos.
10. Once everything has been completed make sure to wipe down your station and to throw away all trash.
Prophase
Metaphase
Anaphase
Telephase
Cytokinesis
Key
Oreo = Cell Membrane and the Nuclear Membrane
Sprinkles = Spindle Fibers, Centrioles, Chromosomes, and Nucleus
Sprinkles = Spindle Fibers, Centrioles, Chromosomes, and Nucleus
Justification
Throughout this lab you are able to identify the phases of mitosis one by one. The images shown above is the process of Cell Division. Cell Division is the process of two daughter cells, each having the equal amount of numbers and chromosomes. The chromosomes fall under as a parent uncles which is highly common in tissue growth.
Analysis Questions
Question 1: Identify 1 step in your model where a mistake could occur. Describe the consequences of that mistake on the cell and on the organism. One mistake that I made in this model was forgetting to create the first phase which is called, "Interphase". The consequence that this would bring to the cell and organism is by preventing the new cells from going through interphase to divide and it won't allow it to undergo through mitosis.
Question 1: Describe the limitations of your model versus observing this in the real world. This model can't show much as real life model. This model is mainly there to cover the basics to allow us to find a better interpretation of the cell division process, but of course a real life model will have much more detail in it to explain the phases.
Question 1: Describe the limitations of your model versus observing this in the real world. This model can't show much as real life model. This model is mainly there to cover the basics to allow us to find a better interpretation of the cell division process, but of course a real life model will have much more detail in it to explain the phases.
Conclusion
Throughout this lab you were able to observe the phases of mitosis and how cells divide. In prophase the chromosomes begin to condense and will soon become observable and then the cytoplasm will begin to create spindle forms. Metaphase is when the chromosomes have been copied and began to align in the middle of the spindle. Then there is anaphase which is when the chromosomes begin to split into two groups that are identical and while move to different ends of the spindle. Then there is telophase and that process will have the nuclear membranes that will form around one another into two chromosomes and then eventually the chromosomes will begin to spread which causes the spindle break down. Lastly, there is cytokinesis and that is when the cell will begin to separate into two daughter cells that contains the equivalent amount of chromosomes; these two copies of 23 chromosomes are called diploids. Hopefully this lab has given up the opportunity to interpret the process of mitosis in a much simpler way.