Mitosis and Differentiation
Aligned to HS-LS1-4 — Next Generation Science Standards.
What this lesson teaches
One cell divides into two identical cells through mitosis, letting an organism grow and repair itself. Differentiation then turns identical cells into specialized types by switching different genes on.
Worked example
A fertilized egg divides by mitosis into billions of identical cells; as genes switch on and off, some become neurons and others muscle, even though all share the same DNA.
Practice questions
- Put the phases of mitosis in order and describe what happens to the chromosomes in each.
- Illustrate how two cells with identical DNA become a skin cell and a nerve cell.
- Explain why a healing wound needs both cell division and differentiation.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Mitosis y diferenciación
Una célula se divide en dos células idénticas mediante la mitosis, lo que permite que un organismo crezca y se repare. Luego la diferenciación convierte las células idénticas en tipos especializados al activar distintos genes.
Ejemplo: Un óvulo fecundado se divide por mitosis en miles de millones de células idénticas; a medida que los genes se activan y desactivan, algunas se convierten en neuronas y otras en músculo, aunque todas comparten el mismo ADN.
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