Living cells store critical information in a molecule known as DNA. As a cell grows, that information is used to build the molecules needed for cell growth. As the cell gets bigger a problem arises because the the amount of DNA does not increase so this causes an information crisis in the cell.

________cells are more efficient at exchanging materials across the cell membrane because they have a greater surface area to volume ratio.

Growing cells solve the problems of DNA overload and inefficient materials exchange by

For many single-celled organisms, such as a bacterium, cell division is the only form of reproduction they can use. This is known as __________________________.

Cells hold a lot of DNA. In fact, the total length of

this bacterium’s DNA molecule is 1.6 mm, roughly 1000 times longer than the cell itself. The only way the cell can manage all this genetic material is to package it very carefully. DNA is packaged in __________________ .

Eukaryotic chromosomes are made of chromatin (DNA wrapped up around proteins). Why do cells go to such lengths to package their DNA into chromosomes?

Which organism would have a simple cell division cycle like the one pictured above?

Eukaryotes have a cell cycle that consists of four main phases. They are

During which phase of the cell cycle is the DNA copied so that each new cell will have a complete copy of genetic material?

In this phase, cells increase in size and synthesize new proteins and organelles. Sometimes called the Gap 1 phase.

Once the genetic material is copied, many of the organelles and molecules required for cell division are produced. This phase is called

In this phase of the cell cycle the nucleus divides (mitosis) as well as the cell itself (cytokinesis).

During M phase (Mitosis) the nucleus divides in a series of steps in this order:

In anaphase of Mitosis, the duplicated chromosomes separate into two identical copies each called a