The Cell Cycle: How Cells Grow and Divide

The cell cycle is essential for understanding how organisms grow, repair tissues, and maintain healthy cell populations. This reading comprehension worksheet provides a comprehensive look at the stages of the cell cycle—interphase, mitosis, and cytokinesis. Perfect for high school biology, this resource dives into the details of cell growth, DNA replication, and the final division of cells. Students will gain a deep understanding of each phase and why checkpoints are necessary to regulate cell division.

What’s Included:

• Detailed Explanations: Breakdowns of interphase, mitosis, cytokinesis, and their roles in cell function and growth.
• Case Study: Focus on cancer and how mutations in the cell cycle (such as in the p53 gene) contribute to uncontrolled cell division.
• Assessment Questions: Includes multiple-choice, matching, fill-in-the-blank, and short-answer questions that reinforce key concepts.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the phases of the cell cycle and the role each phase plays in cell division.
• Recognize the importance of checkpoints in regulating the cell cycle and preventing issues like uncontrolled cell growth.
• Analyze the implications of uncontrolled cell division, particularly in relation to cancer.

Why This Product is Great for Teachers:
This resource is excellent for deepening student understanding of the cell cycle and is ideal for sub plans or independent work. The thorough explanations and assessment questions make it easy to assess student comprehension and critical thinking.

Common Core Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.2: Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; summarize complex concepts.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.4: Determine the meaning of key terms in a scientific context.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.7: Integrate and evaluate technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually.

Recommended For:
High School Biology, AP Biology, Life Science
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