In this unit, we learned in the textbooks about how Mitosis and Meiosis works. Each of them is a similar yet different method of cellular reproduction, the Mitosis on the reproduction of cells, and Meiosis on the creation of sperms and eggs, depending on the gender. Mitosis results in a copy of the original cell, while Meiosis results in 4 sex cells, with half the amount of chromosomes of the original amount, which makes sense since when each sex cells include 23 chromosomes, they equal to 46 if the male and the female mate, creating 46 chromosomes, the amount to reproduce a new child. The gender of the child is also introduced and explained in this unit. It has been said that women possess X chromosomes and that men possess Y chromosomes, and when they mate, it would determine the gender of the baby.

From the textbook, we understand the process of cell replication, in which it starts during Interphase. Interphase includes 3 parts, g1, s, and g2. G1 means when the cell becomes larger, and the organelles within it replicate. S means when the chromatins (DNA wrapped around in protein) replicate, and G2 means when the cell checks itself in case of any errors that occured during the replication process. After that is the mitosis stage, in which includes prophase (the chromosomes compact and nucleus membranes disappear), metaphase (when all the chromosomes line up), anaphase (spindle connects and pulls apart all the chromosomes), and telophase (2 new membranes cover up both sides of the chromosomes. Next is cytokinesis, in which a pinch occurs and snaps the cell into two, successfully duplicating it into two identical cells.

Another form we learned from the textbooks and videos are the process of Miosis. During Miosis, instead of having the chromosomes split up during the first time the cells split up, they remain intact and do not split up until the second cytokinesis. The rest is pretty similar to Mitosis, but while Mitosis ends up with 2 cells, Miosis ends up with 4 sex cells, while each having half the amount of chromosomes as the previous one. This process the more complicated and slower than Mitosis, but allows a higher rate of genetic variability and allows everyone to be unique on their own rather than as simply clones or identical twins to their parents, which is only found in asexual reproduction.

I have learned a lot by the end of the unit, going through different phases and cycles of the cell cycle, as well as being able to see the variability and different possibilities that can wind up in a cycle. The textbooks and videos have helped a lot for me, although sometimes the videos or worksheets can be irrelevant to what we were learning in class or that it includes things we never talked about, or that sometimes the pace can be way too fast in order to cram the entire section in one day while learning very little on the rest of the week. The pace feels wrong to me and makes it hard for me (and many of the other students I’ve talked with) to learn and truly understand and remember in information, rather than just listening to it and forgetting it soon. The videos online and the textbooks still have helped though. I wish that in future lessons we can go into more details on certain topics, rather than cramming everything in one lesson and the rest of the lessons feeling empty and almost seems to be like everything we have already learned before.