Cell Cycle and Cell Division – Notes

Cell Cycle
All organisms, even the largest, begin life from a single cell.
The series of events by which a cell duplicates its genome, synthesises its constituents and eventually divides to form two daughter cells is known as the cell cycle.
The cell cycle is divided into two basic phases-the interphase and the M phase or the mitosis phase.
The interphase is the resting phase during which the cell prepares to divide by undergoing cell growth and DNA replication in an orderly manner.
The interphase is sub-divided into three phases-the G1 phase, S phase and G2 phase.
In the M phase, actual cell division or mitosis takes place.

Mitosis
Mitosis results in the parent cell dividing into two daughter cells, which are not only identical to each other but also to the parent cell.
Prophase is characterized by the formation of compact mitotic chromosomes and the initiation of mitotic spindles.
Metaphase is characterized y spindle fibres attaching to the kinetochores of the chromosomes and the chromosomes moving to the spindle equator.