Cells check DNA segregation at the end of their division
Thursday, May 5, 2016 - 18:30
in Biology & Nature
This is a tomographical slice of a budding yeast cell defective in condensin function (ycg1-2). The division septum advances on incompletely segregated chromosomes. The cells in our bodies are constantly dividing. From embryonic development to adult life, cell division is necessary for tissue growth and renewal. During division, cells must duplicate their genetic material (or DNA) and ensure identical copies are passed along to the daughter cells. The entire process must work perfectly. If not, the next generation of cells will not have the genetic material necessary to function properly. Their role becomes especially relevant in situations in which cells proliferate rapidly, like embryonic development or tumor proliferation.