The cell cycle and interphase
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Question
What is the cell cycle?
Answer
The **repeating sequence of events** a cell goes through from when it is formed to when it divides into two.
Question
What are the two main parts of the cell cycle?
Answer
A long **interphase** (the cell grows and copies its DNA) and a short **mitotic phase (M)** where it divides.
Question
What is interphase?
Answer
The part of the cell cycle when the cell is **not dividing** — it **grows** and **replicates its DNA**. It is made of G1, S and G2.
Question
Which three stages make up interphase, in order?
Answer
**G1, then S, then G2.**
Question
What happens in G1 phase?
Answer
The cell **grows larger** and makes new proteins and organelles.
Question
What happens in S phase?
Answer
The **DNA is replicated** (copied) — so the amount of DNA in the cell **doubles**.
Question
What happens in G2 phase?
Answer
The cell keeps **growing** and **prepares to divide**, checking the copied DNA is ready.
Question
What happens in the M (mitotic) phase?
Answer
The **nucleus divides** (mitosis) and the **cell splits in two** (cytokinesis).
Question
Is the M phase part of interphase?
Answer
**No** — interphase is only G1, S and G2. The M phase is the separate dividing part.
Question
How does the DNA quantity differ between G1 and G2?
Answer
A cell at **G2 has twice as much DNA** as a cell at G1, because DNA is copied in S phase (in between).
Question
Which is the longest part of the cell cycle?
Answer
**Interphase** — the cell spends most of its time growing and copying DNA; the M phase (division) is short.
Question
On a DNA-mass graph, what does a rising line mean?
Answer
The cell is in **S phase**, copying (replicating) its DNA.
Question
On a DNA-mass graph, what does a sudden drop to half mean?
Answer
The cell is **dividing (mitosis)** and sharing its DNA equally between two daughter cells.
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Topic 4.4 hub
Cell and nuclear division
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