| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Reproduction | The process by which organisms sexually or asexually generate new individuals of the same kind. |
| Cell division | The process by which a cell, called a parent cell, divides to form either 2 or 4 daughter cells. |
| Somatic cells | Any cell of a sexually reproducing organism that is not a germ cell. Also called a BODY cell. |
| Germ cells | The reproductive cell of any sexually reproducing organism Also called a SEX cell. |
| Parent cell | A cell that is the source of other cells, as a cell that divides to produce two or more daughter cells. |
| Daughter cell | Either of the two (or 4) cells formed when a cell undergoes cell division by mitosis (or meiosis). |
| Cell cycle | The series of events involving the growth, replication, and division of a cell. |
| Interphase | The first stage in the cell cycle in which the cell grows and the DNA replicates (makes a copy of itself). |
| Mitosis | A series of stages in the cell cycle of a somatic (body) cell in which the parent cell divides into 2 new daughter cells that are identical to the parent cells. |
| Meiosis | A series of stages in the cell cycle of a germ (sex) cell in which the parent cell divides into 4 new daughter cells that are NOT identical to the parent cell. |
| Gene | Hereditary Unit. |
| Double Helix | Shape of DNA, looks like a twisted ladder. |
| Chromatin | one of a pair of duplicated chromosome |
| Centromere | where chromatins are joined in a duplicated chromosome. |
