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Facilitator Questions

Everyone knows that cells are complex, but how could you measure how complex they really are?  How could you compare the complexity of a cell with that of some other structure?

Why are cells so small?

Why do unicellular organisms grow and divide whenever they can?  Wouldn’t it be simpler just to differentiate into a stable form and stay in one place?

Why is the cell growth and division cycle in multicellular orgnanisms regulated?

What properties would you want a microtubule to have to accomplish the jobs it performs during mitosis?

Do you see advantages for a cell in having its spindle form inside the nucleus, rather than in the cytoplasm?  How about having the spindle in the cytoplasm and the chromosome in the nucleus?

How does a cell know when to start anaphase?  If you were designing such a system, what properties would you give it, and how would you make it work?

What time in the cell cycle is most suitable for the decision to start the division process?


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