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INTERPHASE

AfterMphase(discussedbelow),thedaughtercellseachbeginanewcyclebyproceedingtointerphase.Each
stageofinterphasehasadistinctsetofspecializedbiochemicalprocessesthatpreparesthecellforinitiationof
celldivision(seefigurebelow).

G1phase

InterphasebeginswithG1(Gstandsforgap)phase.Duringthisphase,thecellmakesavarietyofproteinsthat
areneededforDNAreplication.

Sphase

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DuringSphase,whichfollowsG1phase,allofthechromosomesarereplicated.Followingreplication,each
chromosomenowconsistsoftwosisterchromatids(seefigurebelow).Thus,theamountofDNAinthecellhas
effectivelydoubled,eventhoughtheploidy,orchromosomecount,ofthecellremainsat2n.Note:Chromosomes
doubletheirnumberofchromatidspostreplicationbutthenucleiremainsdiploidasthenumberofcentromeres
andchromosomesremainsunchanged.Hence,thenumberofchromosomesinthenucleus,whichdeterminesthe
ploidy,remainsunchangedfromthebeginningtotheendoftheSphase.

G2phase

FollowingSphase,thecellentersG2phase.DuringG2,thecellsynthesizesavarietyofproteins.Ofparticular
significancetothecellcycle,mostmicrotubulesproteinsthatarerequiredduringmitosisareproducedduring
G2.

G0phase

Notallcellsarecontinuallyreplicated.NonreplicatingcellsarefoundinastageofthecellcyclecalledG0.These
cellsmaybequiescent(dormant)orsenescent(agingordeteriorating).SuchcellsgenerallyentertheG0phase
fromG1.CellsmayremainquiescentinG0foranindeterminateperiodoftime(whennomorenewcellsare
needed),onlytoreenterG1phaseandbegindividingagainunderspecificconditions.Whilequiescentcellsmay
reenterthecellcycle,senescentcellsdonot.Onereasonthatcellstriggersenescenceistoensurethatdamaged
ordefectiveDNAsequencesisnotpassedontodaughtercells.

Checkpoints

Cellcycleprogressionrequiresasequenceofprocesses,withlatereventsdependentonthecompletionofearlier
ones.Thisdependencyensuresthateachcelldivisionaccuratelyreplicatesthegenomeandtransmitsitto
daughtercells.Checkpointscontrolthecellsprogressthroughthecellcycle,andensurethatkeyprocessessuch
asDNAreplicationandDNAdamagerepairarecompletedbeforethecellcycleisallowedtoprogressintothenext
stage.Checkpointsalsoensurethatbothdaughtercellsreceivethesamenumberofchromosomesandthat
daughtercellsaregeneticallyidenticaltotheparents.
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