Self Assessment Answer # 3 for Lesson 2

by Dr Jamie Love © 2002 - 2005
Genetics Course

Centrosomes are the major organizers of chromosome movements. They help organize the microtubules into spindles. Centrosomes are very important in mitosis because they orient the chromosomes' migration.

Centrosomes are often, but not always, made of two centrioles. [Some species don't have centrioles.]

In G1 there is only one centrosome but this is duplicated during G2 so that by late G2 there are two centrosomes. A cell must have two centrosomes in order to complete mitosis and it is left with only a single centrosome after cytokinesis.

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Dr Jamie Love, the producer of these Genetics lessons, has written several self-study science courses specifically designed for home schoolers and other distance learners. These courses are "hypertextbooks" - delivered over the internet and read on your computer, just like web pages. To organize and distribute these hypertextbooks, Jamie created Merlin's Science Academy - a (non-accredited) "virtual school". Merlin's Science Academy sells self-paced, self-learning hypertextbooks that teach Alchemy (actually, Chemistry ), Astronomy and Genetics in a fun and unique way. Each course has computerized exams, unique features and a style best suited for teaching the subject. Principles of Alchemy (Chemistry) is for younger students (up to highschool), while Principles of Astronomy is for more advanced students (hobbyists & first-year university), and Principles of Genetics is most suitable for very advanced students (at university). However, every student is different and it would not be fair to generalize. So, visit Merlin's Science Academy where you can learn more about the courses, request free samples of each course (to download onto your computer) and enjoy the free online samples.

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