BIO 140 Human Biology I - Questions and Solutions

1. What would happen if anaphase proceeded even though the sister chromatids were not properly attached to their respective microtubules and lined up at the metaphase plate?

Solution: One or both of the new daughter cells would accidently receive duplicate chromosomes and/or would be missing certain chromosomes.

2. What are cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases, and how do they interact?

Solution: A cyclin is one of the primary classes of cell cycle control molecules, while a cyclin-dependent kinase (is one of a group of molecules that work together with cyclins to determine progression past cell checkpoints. By interacting with many additional molecules, these triggers push the cell cycle forward unless prevented from doing so by “stop” signals, if for some reason the cell is not ready.