Cell Cycle: An In-Depth Exploration

Key Stages of the Eukaryotic Cell Cycle

The eukaryotic cell cycle consists of two major phases: interphase and mitosis.

Interphase

• G₀ (Gap 0): Resting phase where the cell temporarily exits the cell cycle.
• G₁ (Gap 1): Cell growth, RNA synthesis, and preparation for DNA replication.
• S (Synthesis): DNA replication occurs.
• G₂ (Gap 2): Prepares for mitosis, checking for DNA damage.
• G₃ (Gap 3): Final stage before mitosis, centrosomes begin to separate.

Mitosis

Mitosis is the process of cell division, resulting in two identical daughter cells.

Types of Cell Division

There are two main types of cell division:

• Vegetative division: Occurs in somatic cells (non-sex cells) to facilitate growth and repair.
• Reproductive division (meiosis): Occurs in germ cells (sex cells) to produce gametes (sex cells).

Significance of Cell Division

Cell division is essential for:

• Growth and development of organisms
• Tissue repair and replacement
• Asexual reproduction in some organisms

Importance of Cell Division in Skin Cells

Skin cells divide rapidly to replace the large number of cells lost due to wear and tear.

Other cells, such as nerve and brain cells, divide less frequently.

Sources

• Khan Academy: The Cell Cycle and Mitosis
• Nature: The Cell Cycle
• NCBI: Cell Division