SciREN Lesson Plan Portal

• Name: Dr. Ekaterina Gracheva
• Position and Institution: former researcher in Leiden University Medical Center
• Contact: e.gracheva.phd@gmail.com
• Available for contact for questions and classroom visits: Yes
• Year contributed: 2020

• Grade Level: 6-8
• Science Domain: Life Sciences
• PE Code: MS-LS1-1, MS-LS1-5

There are a lot of cells diving in our body as you read this sentence. One cell splits into two. Cell division is important for our survival as a multicellular organism. If there is an injury, body needs new cells to fix it. Some cells need to be replaced because they are too old to work properly. New cells make us grow and develop.

This lesson is focused on the question why cells divide and how they know when to do it. It does not cover phases of mitosis as well as sexual reproduction but rather discusses cell division in an adult organism. Students will use this knowledge to understand how a normal cells becomes a cancer cell and how we can combat cancer knowing how cancer cells divide.

• Cells
• cell division
• growth
• regeneration
• cancer

• Lesson Plan