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15.2: The Eukaryotic Cell Cycle

  • Page ID
    16185
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    Most eukaryotic cells undergo a reproductive cycle to generate either another copy of themselves or to generate gametes (sex cells), and in doing so require a complex mechanism to govern the safe and accurate replication of their much larger (than prokaryote) genomes. Immediately following mitosis, the newly created cells are in the G1 phase. This is largely a growth phase, during which there is a lot of biosynthesis of proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates. However, there is no synthesis of new DNA at this time. G1 is the longest of the cell cycle phases in many cell types, and most of the physiological activity of a cell happens during G1. Following G1, the next phase of the cell cycle is the S phase, during which synthesis of new DNA occurs. In other words, the genome is being replicated during this phase; thus at the end of S phase, the cell has twice the normal amount of DNA. After S phase, the cell proceeds into G2, which provides an opportunity for the cell to perform a self-assessment and make final preparations (such as more cell growth, repairs of DNA) as necessary before it finally heads into mitosis. Mitosis, or M phase, is primarily

    1. the breakdown of the nucleus,
    2. re-distribution of the DNA to opposite sides of the cell, and
    3. formation of two new nuclei around that DNA, and cytokinesis, the final splitting of the cell itself.

    As the cell progresses through the various phases of mitosis, and for that matter, the phases of the cell cycle overall, it does so in a specific and controlled manner, with checkpoints that “ask” if the cell is ready for the next step: is it big enough, is the DNA healthy, etc. so that the cell has the best chance of generating healthy daughter cells. For example, if the cell cycle runs too rapidly through each phase, then there is not enough time for the cell to build up its mass in preparation for reproduction, and that leads to abnormally small daughter cells, and potentially even daughter cells that are too small to survive. If a cell undergoes mitosis with damaged or mutated DNA, then that may increase the likelihood of a pathological mutation surviving and harming the organism by turning into a cancerous tumor.


    This page titled 15.2: The Eukaryotic Cell Cycle is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by E. V. Wong via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.