Cell Cycle Questions

• Cell division stages: Which mitotic stage begins when sister chromatids align at the cell’s equatorial plane (the metaphase plate)?
• Chromosome composition: Which component is NOT a structural part of a human chromosome at any phase of the cell cycle?
• Cell cycle order: Which sequence correctly describes the progression of eukaryotic cell cycle phases?
• Cell biology — mitosis and cell cycle overview During eukaryotic cell division, the mitotic spindle (composed of microtubules and associated proteins that segregate chromosomes) first forms in which phase of the cell cycle?
• Animal cell division — timing of cleavage furrow formation In animal cells, the cleavage furrow that physically divides the cytoplasm forms during which specific part of cell division?
• Cell cycle control — non-dividing, terminally differentiated cells Certain specialized human cells (for example, many neurons) permanently exit the division cycle. In which phase/state do such cells remain when they no longer divide?
• Human genetics — counting chromatids before mitosis In a human diploid somatic cell (2n = 46), how many chromatids are present just prior to mitotic division, after DNA replication has been completed?
• Mitosis landmarks — alignment and separation events Which phase of mitosis is characterized by chromosomes aligned at the cell equator and, at the transition, centromeres divide to allow sister chromatids to move apart?
• Cell cycle preparation — when are cells readied for genome separation? In which phase do eukaryotic cells complete preparations (protein synthesis, organelle duplication, checkpoint control) necessary for the accurate separation of the replicated genome during mitosis?
• Checkpoint control — where is cell growth assessed? At which major checkpoint is cell growth (size, nutrients, external signals) primarily assessed to determine whether a cell should commit to another round of DNA replication?
• Chromosome structure — counting chromatids in a duplicated chromosome When a single chromosome has been duplicated (post-S phase) but before sister chromatids separate, how many chromatids does that single duplicated chromosome contain?
• Mitotic movements — when do centromeres move toward the poles? During mitosis, at which stage do sister chromatids separate and their centromeres move poleward along the spindle microtubules?
• Cell cycle regulation — what primarily controls progression? In most eukaryotic cells, progression through the cell cycle is governed predominantly by which mechanism?
• Cell division concept check — In mitosis, which one of the following statements is incorrect? Provide careful reasoning about anaphase mechanics, spindle fibers, and chromosome movement to the metaphase plate.
• Core mitosis milestone — Which phase of mitosis is specifically associated with the separation of sister chromatids into individual chromosomes?
• Genetics terminology — What does the term ‘‘homologous chromosomes’’ mean in the context of a diploid organism?
• Cell division vocabulary — Which term below is least related to mitosis (i.e., it pertains primarily to meiosis or a different biological context)?
• Immunology checkpoint — Which signaling molecule specifically triggers clonal expansion (division) of activated T lymphocytes?
• Spindle dynamics — During which stage do microtubules grow from spindle poles and attach to kinetochores on each chromatid (capture occurs after nuclear envelope breakdown)?
• Cell cycle control — At which checkpoint is progression through mitosis specifically monitored by the spindle assembly (anaphase-promoting) checkpoint?