FBS 182: FOREST GENETICS AND TREE IMPROVEMENT
1/23/23
Exercise No. 3
Mitosis and Meiosis
I. Introduction:
Plants are characterized by an open type of growth. This is made possible by meristematic
regions in the terminal ends of shoot and root. In such regions, the cells divide (mitosis and cytokinesis),
thus contributing to the increase in the number of cells, and this leads to growth. In another portion of
the plant body, in flowers or cones, another type of cell division occurs (meiosis), and this leads to the
formation of gametes. Both mitosis and meiosis are important cell division processes that helps growth
and reproduction.
A. Mitosis
Mitosis is the cell cycle process by which chromosomes in a cell nucleus are separated into two
identical sets of chromosomes, each in its own nucleus. In general, karyokinesis (duplication of the
nucleus) is followed by cytokinesis, which divides the cytoplasm, organelles and cell membrane into two
new cells containing roughly equal shares of these cellular components. Mitosis and cytokinesis
together define the mitotic (M) phaseof the cell cycle—the division of the mother cell into two daughter
cells, genetically identical to each other and to their parent cell.
The process of mitosis is fast and highly
complex. The sequence of events is divided into stages
corresponding to the completion of one set of activities
and the start of the next. These stages
are prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase.
During mitosis, the chromosomes, which have already
duplicated, condense and attach to fibers that pull one
copy of each chromosome to opposite sides of the cell.
The cell then divides by cytokinesis to produce two
genetically-identical daughter cells. Mitosis occurs only
in eukaryotic cells such as plants.
B. Meiosis
Meiosis is a specialized type of cell
division which reduces the chromosome number by
half. This process occurs in all sexually reproducing
eukaryotes (both single-celled and multicellular)
including animals, plants, and fungi.
In meiosis, DNA replication is followed by two
rounds of cell division to produce four daughter cells
with half the number of chromosomes as the original
parent cell. The two meiotic divisions are known In meiosis, the chromosomes duplicate (during
interphase) and homologous chromosomes exchange genetic
as meiosis I and meiosis II. Before meiosis begins, the
information (chromosomal crossover) before a first division,
DNA of each chromosome is replicated so that it called meiosis I. The daughter cells divide again in meiosis II,
consists of two identical sister chromatids attached at splitting up sister chromatids to form haploid gametes. Male
a centromere. and female gametes fuse during fertilization, creating a diploid
cell with a complete set of paired chromosomes.
1
"…Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for
the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
FBS 182: FOREST GENETICS AND TREE IMPROVEMENT
1/23/23
In meiosis I, homologous chromosomes pair with each other and can exchange genetic material
in a process called crossing over. The homologous chromosomes are then pulled apart into two separate
daughter cells, each containing half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell. At the end of
meiosis I, sister chromatids remain attached and may differ from one another if crossing-over occurred.
In meiosis II, the two cells produced during meiosis I divide again. During this division, sister chromatids
detach from one another and are separated into four total daughter cells. These cells can mature
into gametes, spores, pollen, and other reproductive cells.
Because the number of chromosomes is halved during meiosis, it allows gametes to fuse
(in fertilization) to form a zygote containing a mixture of paternal and maternal chromosomes. Thus,
meiosis and fertilization facilitate sexual reproduction with successive generations maintaining the same
number of chromosomes. For example, a typical diploid human cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes
(46 total, half of maternal origin and half of paternal origin). Meiosis produces haploid gametes with one
set of 23 chromosomes. When two gametes (an egg and a sperm) fuse, the resulting zygote is once
again diploid, with the mother and father each contributing 23 chromosomes.
Objectives:
At the end of the exercise, students should have a basic understanding of the process of Meiosis
and Mitosis and understand its significance.
II. Methodology
Part I. Film Viewing
A film on the two division processes will be shown in class. Questions based from this film will
be given at the end of the exercise.
Part II. Laboratory Observation
Prepare a slide using onion bulb. Break an onion scale near the center. Bend it toward concave
and using forceps, remove the film like layer of epidermis. Usually they are found near the root section.
Put a drop of iodine in the slide and place cover slip. Using a high magnification microscope, observe the
cells and identify where cell division is actually occurring, illustrate this and identify the stages seen.
III.
Questions to answer:
1. Give a concise description of the different stages of Mitosis.
2. Give a concise description of the stages of Meiosis.
3. What are the major differences and similarities between meiosis and mitosis?
4. There are 54 chromosomes in each of the somatic cells of large leaf mahogany. All somatic cells
trace the original zygote. How many chromosomes are expected to be present in the sperm nucleus
of the pollen grain and in the egg nucleus?
5. Pinus kesiya had a 2n = 80, how many chromosomes is expected of its egg nucleus?
6. Durian (Durio zibethinus), a forest tree species, has 28 chromosomes at diakinesis of the
reproductive spores. If there is complete fertilization, how many chromosomes do you expect to
find in the ensuing endosperm and somatic cells of the zygote?
References:
Laboratory Manual in Forest Botany by E. Fernando
2
"…Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for
the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
