The eukaryotic mitotic cell cycle is the regulated sequence by which cells replicate their DNA and divide to produce daughter cells, organized into four phases—G1 (growth and replication preparation), S (DNA synthesis, producing sister chromatids), G2 (post-replication verification), and M (mitosis: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase, followed by cytokinesis)—grouped into interphase and the mitotic phase, with a quiescent G0 state for non-dividing cells. Progression through and between phases is governed by cyclin proteins, whose fluctuating abundance activates cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), and by checkpoints that verify completion of one phase (e.g., DNA replication) before permitting entry into the next, preventing errors such as incomplete or inaccurate chromosome segregation. This concept belongs to cell biology, specifically the study of cell division and its regulation, and underlies the broader biological principles of growth, tissue repair, and the mechanisms whose failure can lead to diseases such as cancer.
The eukaryotic mitotic cell cycle is the regulated sequence by which cells replicate their DNA and divide to produce daughter cells, organized into four phases—G1 (growth and replication preparation)…