Cell Cycle Web ActivityName:

BiologyDate: Period:

Cell Cycle Game

  • Click “enter” to play the game.
  • Read the captions at the bottom of each screen.
  • Finally click on the open doorway to enter the nucleus and begin the game.

Answer the following questions.

1.Every minute 300 million cells are being created or replaced. Give two reasons whey cells need to be constantly dividing:

2.Do all of the cells in your body divide at the same rate? Give an example to support your answer.

3.How does a skin cell know when it is time to divide?

Click on the doorway to the nucleus to being playing the game.

4.What was the first button that you pressed to begin cell division?

  • What phase of the cell cycle are you currently in?
  • What are the two checkpoints the cell needs to pass before you can proceed?

5.What was the second button that you pressed?

  • What phase of the cell cycle are you currently in?
  • Describe what happens during this stage of the cell cycle.

6.What was the third button that you pressed?

  • How is the Gap 2 (G2) phase describe in the game, different the theG2 phase that we described in class?
  • What are the three checkpoints that the cell needs to pass before you can proceed?

7.What is the fourth button that you pressed?

  • What is the process shown in this animation?

8.What is the final button to had to press to complete the cell cycle?

9.How do the two daughter cells produced at the end of mitosis compare to the mother cell that began the cell cycle?

10.Explain the role of cyclins (and CDK) in the cell cycle.

11.Explain the relationship between cyclins and cancer.

Use this link to understand cancer:

Once at the site click on the overview section all the way to the left under Hall Marks of Cancer. You may watch any of the videos in this section if you choose to.

  1. Watch the overview video of cancer. How does all cancer start?
  1. True or False: There are multiple types of cancer and anyone can be diagnosed with cancer.
  2. Watch the video becoming immortal. What allows cancer cells to continually divide unlike your normal cells?

Harvard University – The Biology of Cancer Animations

Use this link to have a better understanding of the cell cycle:

  • Go through The Cell Cycle, Checkpoints and Cell Cycle Control, and The Biochemical Pathways of Normal and Cancer Cells