Mitosis: How Body Cells Multiply & Heal

Key takeaways

Growth and repair: Mitosis adds new body cells and replaces damaged or worn-out cells. Meiosis, not mitosis, produces sperm and egg cells.
The clone rule: One human body cell with 46 chromosomes produces two genetically identical daughter cells, each with 46 chromosomes, after mitosis and cytokinesis.
PMAT: Prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase occur in order. Cytokinesis divides the cytoplasm into two cells. DNA is copied during interphase before mitosis.

The supplied curriculum connections include high-school extensions: NGSS HS-LS1-4 and Florida SC.912.L.16.14.

Mitosis: How Body Cells Multiply & Heal: a guide for parents

Grades 6–8 • Science • Free, no login

Heal a scrape, grow from baby to adult, and follow PMAT to see how one body cell becomes two identical daughter cells.

Kitchen Table Prompt

Ask: how does a scrape close without your skin cells growing giant? Trigger mitosis and watch new cells fill the gap. Then follow PMAT: prepare, middle, apart, two nuclei. Each daughter cell keeps the same chromosome count.

Standards this lesson covers

National / 44+ States (NGSS): MS-LS1-1, MS-LS1-3 & HS-LS1-4 (Cells, interacting body systems, growth and cellular division; HS-LS1-4 is a high-school bridging extension)

Texas (TEKS): TEKS 7.14B & 7.12D (Compare uniform offspring from asexual reproduction with diverse offspring from sexual reproduction; cells in tissues and organs)

Florida (NGSSS): FL NGSSS SC.912.L.16.14 & SC.6.L.14.5 (Cell cycle, mitosis, growth, tissue repair and chromosome number; SC.912.L.16.14 is a high-school extension)

Virginia (SOL): VA SOL LS.2.d (Cell division, mitosis and cytokinesis for growth, maintenance and repair)

North Carolina (SCOS): NC SCOS 7.L.2.1 (Compare variation from sexual reproduction with genetically identical cells from mitosis and asexual reproduction)

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