Cell division is the process by which eukaryotic cells reproduce. The hallmark of the process is the apportionment of an identical genome to each daughter cell. Division of the nuclear contents is referred to as karyokinesis or, more commonly, mitosis. Nuclear division is usually followed by cytoplasmic division or cytokinesis, the apportionment of the cytosol and cytoplasmic organeles to the daughter cells as cell boundaries are formed. Students enrolled in Biol 0228, Biological Concepts, at Westfield State College, have conducted a number of experiments designed to investigate the cell cycle in cells of onion root tips (Allium cepa ) and broad beans (Vicia faba ). These experiments are relatively simple and straight forward, and involve "fixing" root tips in Carnoy's fixative, acid hydrolysis of plant cell walls, staining DNA with Schiff's reagent, and observations at 400X using compound microscopes. Data generated from these experiments have allowed students to ask questions such as what proportion of the cell cycle is made up of mitosis? These data are available from the Data Files listed below. What questions can you ask of these data?

Data obtained by students who have conducted the Cell Cycle Lab experiments are available via the links below.

• Onion Data File
  
• Broad Bean Data File