HS-LS1-4 | Mitosis and Differentiation
Use a model to illustrate cellular division (mitosis) and differentiation.
Clarification statement: Emphasis should be on the outcomes of mitotic division and cell differentiation on growth and development of complex organisms and possible implications for abnormal cell division (cancer) and stem cell research.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include specific gene control mechanisms or recalling the specific steps of mitosis.
Assessment
What assessment of HS-LS1-4 might look like on a NY state exam.
Performance Level Descriptions
PLDs communicate the knowledge and skills expected of students to demonstrate proficiency in each Learning Standard. NYS assessments classify student performance into one of five levels.
Vocabulary
Terms from the Biology Glossary that come from this standard or from the released exam questions that assess it.
- abnormal cell division
- cancer
- cell
- cellular division
- chromosome
- complex organism
- daughter cell
- differentiation
- fertilized egg
- gene
- genetic material
- growth and development
- matter
- mitosis
- multicellular organism
- organ
- parent cell
- stem cell
- system model
- tissue
- variant (gene variant)
- amphibian – Aug 2026
- aquatic – Aug 2026
- blastocyst – Aug 2025
- body cell – Aug 2026, Aug 2025
- bone cell – Jan 2026
- cell types (nerve, liver, skeletal muscle, intestinal, cheek cells) – Aug 2026, Aug 2025
- central disc – Aug 2026
- cornea – Aug 2025
- DNA – Aug 2026, Jan 2026, Aug 2025, June 2025
- egg (egg cell) – Aug 2026, Jan 2026
- environmental factor – June 2025
- fertilization – Aug 2026
- fetus – Jan 2026, Aug 2025
- fruiting body – Aug 2026
- generation – Aug 2025
- genetic information – Aug 2026, Aug 2025
- genetic variation – Aug 2025
- genetically identical – Aug 2026
- genome – Aug 2025
- germination – Aug 2026
- growth and repair – Aug 2025
- inner cell mass – Aug 2025
- larva – Aug 2026
- life cycle – Aug 2026
- liver – Aug 2025
- lung cell – June 2025
- meiosis – Aug 2026
- metamorphosis – Aug 2026
- muscle – Jan 2026
- muscle cell – Jan 2026, Aug 2025
- mutation – Aug 2026
- nerve – Aug 2025
- nucleus – Aug 2025
- protein – Aug 2025
- regeneration – Aug 2026
- reproduction – Aug 2026
- reproductive cell – Aug 2026
- sex chromosomes (X and Y) – Aug 2025
- skin cell – Aug 2025
- somatic cell – Aug 2025
- specialized cell – Jan 2026, Aug 2025
- species – Aug 2025
- sperm – Aug 2026, Jan 2026
- spore – Aug 2026
- terrestrial – Aug 2026
- tumor – June 2025
- variation – Aug 2026
- zygote – Aug 2026
Resources
Examples and discussion of resources for the learning, teaching, and assessment of HS-LS1-4.
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NGSS Dimensions
Performance expectation HS-LS1-4 was developed using the following elements from the NRC document A Framework for K-12 Science Education:
- Developing and Using Models
- Use a model based on evidence to illustrate the relationships between systems or between components of a system.
- LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms
- In multicellular organisms individual cells grown and then divide via a process called mitosis, thereby allowing the organism to grow. The organism begins as a single cell (fertilized egg) that divides successfully to produce many cells, with each parent cell passing identical genetic material (two variants of each chromosome pair) to both daughter cells. Cellular division and differentiation produce and maintain a complex organism, composed of systems of tissues and organs that work together to meet the needs of the whole organism.
- Systems and System Models
- Models (e.g., physical, mathematical, computer models) can be used to simulate systems and interactions - including energy, matter, and information flows – within and between systems at different scales.