AQA A-Level Biology - Mitosis

AQA A-Level Biology - Mitosis

1.
PMAT - Abbreviation of the four stages of mitosis



2. Prophase - The chromosomes thicken and condense, becoming visible. The nuclear envelope
breaks down



3. Metaphase - The chromosomes align in the centre of the cell. Spindle fibres begin to attach to
each sister chromatid



4. Anaphase - The sister chromatids are pulled apart to opposite poles of the cell. The centromeres
divide in two and move to opposite poles of the cell, pulled by microtubules



5. Telophase - The start of the cell division where the spindle fibres disintergrate and the nucleolus
reforms



6. Cytokinesis - The process by which the cell splits into two at the end of mitosis, forming a new
nuclear envelope and plasma membrane



7. Chromatid - Half a chromosome



8. Homologous Chromosomes - Identical chromosomes



9. Centromere - The central region of a chromosome that holds the two chromatids together



10. Mitosis - The process that produces two daughter cells and have the same number of
chromosomes as the parent cell



11. Binary Fission - The process of cell division in prokaryotic cells