Cell cycle and apoptosis · USMLE Step 1

Which of the following best explains why mitotic and apoptotic cells share some morphological features such as chromatin condensation and membrane blebbing?

  1. They both involve uncontrolled, unregulated cell death
  2. Both remodel the cytoskeleton and activate proteases that alter the nuclear envelope
  3. They both bypass the S phase of the cell cycle entirely
  4. They both produce two viable daughter cells at completion
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Correct answer: Both remodel the cytoskeleton and activate proteases that alter the nuclear envelope

Both mitosis and apoptosis involve remodeling of the cytoskeleton and modifications to the nuclear envelope; in apoptosis, caspases cleave structural proteins, leading to chromatin condensation and membrane blebbing similar in appearance to mitotic changes though with different outcomes.

Difficulty: Medium Question 12 of 19

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