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Cell Cycle and Cell Division

NCERT Class 11 Biology Chapter 10

Cell Cycle and Cell Division for Class 11 Biology and NEET: phases of the cell cycle, mitosis, meiosis and the significance of each division.

5 topics Updated 8 Nov 2026

For: Class 11 and NEET

In the syllabus: NEET Class 11 syllabus

With your textbook

NCERT Biology (Class 11), Chapter 10 “Cell Cycle and Cell Division”, reprint 2026-27.

Open the official NCERT chapter (PDF, 2.5 MB, ncert.nic.in)

Checked on 19 Oct 2026.

Learn in this order

  1. Cell cycle

    Interphase (G1, S and G2) and M phase, DNA from 2C to 4C, durations, and the G0 phase, with a cell cycle diagram.

    NCERT Section 10.1 12 min read 7 solved examples 8 practice questions

  2. Mitosis (M phase)

    Why it is equational, the four stages with a diagram, the metaphase plate, and cytokinesis in plant and animal cells.

    NCERT Section 10.2 10 min read 4 solved examples 6 practice questions

  3. Significance of mitosis

    Growth, the nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio, cell repair, plant meristems, and mitosis in haploid cells.

    NCERT Section 10.3 6 min read 4 solved examples 4 practice questions

  4. Meiosis

    Meiosis I and II, the stages of prophase I, crossing over and chiasmata, and the difference between mitosis and meiosis.

    NCERT Section 10.4 11 min read 5 solved examples 6 practice questions

  5. Significance of meiosis

    Why halving the chromosome number keeps it constant, and how meiosis increases genetic variation.

    NCERT Section 10.5 6 min read 3 solved examples 4 practice questions

Key formulas in this chapter

Cell cycle

  • cell cycle: interphase (G1, S, G2) + M phase
  • human cells in culture: about 24 h; M phase about 1 h
  • interphase: more than 95% of the cycle
  • yeast: about 90 minutes
  • diploid S phase: nuclear DNA 2C to 4C; chromosomes stay 2n

Mitosis (M phase)

  • mitosis: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase; cytokinesis completes division
  • metaphase: chromosomes on the metaphase plate
  • anaphase: centromeres split, chromatids to opposite poles
  • animal cytokinesis: furrow; plant cytokinesis: cell plate
  • syncytium: karyokinesis without cytokinesis

Significance of mitosis

  • normal mitosis: daughter nuclei retain the parent chromosome complement
  • roles: growth, nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio, cell repair
  • plants: continuous growth from meristems

Meiosis

  • meiosis: one DNA replication, two divisions
  • prophase I: leptotene, zygotene, pachytene, diplotene, diakinesis
  • zygotene: synapsis; pachytene: crossing over; diplotene: chiasmata
  • anaphase I: homologues separate; anaphase II: sister chromatids separate
  • textbook result: four haploid products, not necessarily four functional gametes

Significance of meiosis

  • gametes: n; zygote: 2n
  • humans: 2n = 46, n = 23
  • meiosis: constant chromosome number, genetic variability

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