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9: (T3) Cell Cycle

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    Cells, whether prokaryotic or eukaryotic, eventually reproduce or die.

    • 9.1: The Prokaryotic Cell Cycle
      For prokaryotes, the mechanism of reproduction is relatively simple, since there are no internal organelles. The process consists of three distinct but short phases: first, a growth phase in which the mass of the cell is increased, then the chromosomal replication phase, and finally the chromosomes are separated and the cells are physically split into two independent new cells. In bacteria, these are referred to as the B, C, and D periods, respectively.
    • 9.2: The Eukaryotic Cell Cycle
      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.
    • 9.3: Controlling the Cell Cycle
      There are three major checkpoints for cell cycle control
    • 9.4: Activation and inactivation of the cyclin-cdk complex
    • 9.5: Pre-mitotic Phases
    • 9.6: Mitosis
      Mitosis consists of prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase, with distinct cellular activities characterizing each phase. This completes the duplication of the nucleus, and is followed by cytokinesis, in which the cell divides to produce two daughter cells.
    • 9.7: Cell Death
      A cell may die either intentionally (usually referred to as apoptosis or programmed cell death, though also once known also as “cellular suicide”), or unintentionally (necrosis). The microscopic observation of these two processes shows strikingly different mechanisms at work. In apoptosis, the cell begins to shrink and lose shape as the cytoskeleton is degraded, then the organelles appear to pack together, except for the nucleus.
    • 9.8: Meiosis
      To maintain the proper number of chromosomes in each generation, the gametes each contribute one set of chromosomes, so that the fertilized egg and all other cells in the organism have two sets of chromosomes — one from each parent. The purpose of meiosis, and its primary difference with mitosis, is not generating daughter cells that are exact replicates, but generating daughter cells that only have half the amount of genetic material as the original cell.

    Thumbnail: Life cycle of the cell. (CC BY-SA 4.0; BruceBlaus).

    This page titled 9: (T3) 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.