The Cell Cycle and Mitosis

A set of flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to the cell cycle and mitosis, designed to aid in exam preparation.

Cell Cycle

The series of events that take place in a cell leading to its division and duplication.

M Phase

The phase of the cell cycle in which mitosis and cytokinesis occur.

Mitosis

The process of nuclear division that results in two genetically identical daughter cells.

Cytokinesis

The division of the cytoplasm following mitosis, resulting in two separate cells.

G1 Phase

The first gap phase of the cell cycle where the cell grows and prepares to replicate DNA.

G0 Phase

A state where cells exit the cell cycle and enter a resting phase.

S Phase

The phase of the cell cycle where DNA is replicated.

G2 Phase

The second gap phase of the cell cycle where the cell prepares for mitosis.

Centrosome

An organelle that serves as a main microtubule organizing center during the cell cycle.

Microtubules

Cylindrical structures made of tubulin that are critical for maintaining cell structure and for cell division.

Kinetochore

A protein structure on chromosomes where spindle fibers attach during cell division.

Anaphase-Promoting Complex (APC)

A protein complex that triggers the transition from metaphase to anaphase in cell division.

Cdks (Cyclin-Dependent Kinases)

Protein kinases that regulate the cell cycle progression in eukaryotic cells.

Cyclins

Proteins whose levels fluctuate in the cell cycle, activating Cdks to regulate the cycle.

Cohesins

Protein complexes that hold sister chromatids together until anaphase.