Download Cell growth - Singapore Math

Background information for teachers
Cells grow and divide themselves regularly. Organisms are able to grow and recover from wounds because
their cells go through cell division.
When a cell divides, its nucleus and cytoplasm divide and create two identical cells. The original cell is
called the mother cell and the resulting two cells are called the daughter cells. This process is called mitosis.
It generally comprises four phases — the prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. During each phase,
the cell goes through different changes that prepare it for splitting and to create a brand new cell.
Cell division in unicellular organisms is a type of asexual reproduction, where the new cell is identical to the
original cell. Cell division enables the growth of tissues and the replacement of old and dead cells in
multicellular organisms. A cell that stops dividing is called a senescent cell. In multicellular organisms,
senescent cells cause aging.
3 Cell growth
and division
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How do cells grow and multiply?
What information is stored in a cell?
How do cells form larger organisms?
An animal cell is made up of
cytoplasm, a nucleus, a cell
membrane and vacuoles.
A plant cell is made up of
cytoplasm, a nucleus,
a cell membrane, a vacuole,
chloroplasts and a cell wall.
The cell in this picture is dividing itself into two. This is a
natural process that occurs in living things.
• What are the parts of a cell?
• What does a cell contain?
Cell growth and division 29
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A cell contains fluid, energy and
waste substances.
Cell growth and division
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2/25/10 6:53:42 PM