Introduction and Objectives

Multicellular organisms such as plants and animals are composed of millions to trillions (1,000,000,000) of cells that work together. The cells that make up different tissues have different shapes and perform different functions for the plant or animal. Even though they have diverse functions, each somatic cell in the organism normally has the same chromosomes and therefore the same genetic makeup. Furthermore, the millions of cells that makeup a mature organism originated from a single cell formed when the male and female gametes from the parents of the organism fused. This single cell established the life of the organism. Understanding multicellular organisms requires an understanding of the lifecycle of the cells that make up the organism. 

1. Describe the stages of the cell cycle. 
2. Explain the events of all stages of mitosis. 
3. Track chromosome and chromatid numbers along with the genes on those chromosomes through all stages of mitosis. 
4. Explain the events of all stages of meiosis. 
5. Track chromosome and chromatid numbers along with the genes on those chromosomes through all stages of meiosis. 
6. Describe the role of meiosis in gamete formation and how it relates to inheritance.