Article Sections

Introduction

The cell cycle facilitates the duplication and segregation of the cell's genetic information to form 2 identical daughter cells.  The 2 major phases of the eukaryotic cell cycle are interphase and M (mitotic) phase.  The cell spends approximately 90% of its life cycle in interphase, which is divided into G1 (first gap), S (synthesis), and G2 (second gap) phases.  Mitosis involves nuclear division to form genetically identical daughter cells.  Meiosis is a specialized form of cell division that leads to the formation of gametes (ova, sperm), which can then participate in sexual reproduction.

Interphase

Interphase is characterized by the following phases ( Figure 1):

  • G1 phase:  Characterized by presynthetic cell growth, organelle duplication, and the production of proteins necessary for DNA replication.  After G1, a subset of cells enters a specialized resting state called

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