Cell cycle overview
The role of the cell cycle is to allow a cell to increase its mass, acquire nutrients, duplicate DNA and divide into daughter cells. There are three stages within the cell cycle, interphase, mitotic (M) phase and cytokinesis. Interphase is further divided into Gap 1 (G1), Synthesis (S) and Gap 2 (G2) where the main agenda for the cell is to grow, and obtain nutrients in preparation for the next phase. The next stage is the M phase and includes four consecutive events, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase over which the cell duplicates its genetic material before finally reaching cytokinesis, the third stage, in which the cell divides into two daughter cells. Cells may then enter a quiescent G0 phase, before beginning a new cell cycle (Fig.). …show more content…
The latter of which is also known as the ‘restriction’ point in mammalian cells and ‘start’ point in yeast cells. The restriction point exists to allow the cell to commit to a new cell cycle, and by doing so move into the G1 phase rather than stay in the dormant G0 phase. Both points are present to ensure proper cell division and timing of cellular events. Failure to meet the criteria set at each point has been shown to lead to uncontrolled cell division and essentially tumorigenesis due to mutations in regulatory proteins which keep the cell in a proliferative
The role of the cell cycle is to allow a cell to increase its mass, acquire nutrients, duplicate DNA and divide into daughter cells. There are three stages within the cell cycle, interphase, mitotic (M) phase and cytokinesis. Interphase is further divided into Gap 1 (G1), Synthesis (S) and Gap 2 (G2) where the main agenda for the cell is to grow, and obtain nutrients in preparation for the next phase. The next stage is the M phase and includes four consecutive events, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase over which the cell duplicates its genetic material before finally reaching cytokinesis, the third stage, in which the cell divides into two daughter cells. Cells may then enter a quiescent G0 phase, before beginning a new cell cycle (Fig.). …show more content…
The latter of which is also known as the ‘restriction’ point in mammalian cells and ‘start’ point in yeast cells. The restriction point exists to allow the cell to commit to a new cell cycle, and by doing so move into the G1 phase rather than stay in the dormant G0 phase. Both points are present to ensure proper cell division and timing of cellular events. Failure to meet the criteria set at each point has been shown to lead to uncontrolled cell division and essentially tumorigenesis due to mutations in regulatory proteins which keep the cell in a proliferative