Cell Reproduction and DNA Replication Overview

Pollen

Produced by flowering plants for reproduction.

Cell Cycle

Series of events in a cell's life.

Interphase

Stage where cell grows and prepares to divide.

M Phase

Stage where cell divides into daughter cells.

G1 Phase

Cell growth and gene activation occurs.

S Phase

DNA is duplicated during this phase.

G2 Phase

Cell synthesizes proteins for division.

G0 Phase

Cell performs functions without preparing to divide.

Mitosis

Process of nuclear division producing daughter cells.

Cytokinesis

Splitting of cytoplasm after mitosis.

Checkpoint Proteins

Regulatory points ensuring proper cell cycle progression.

Cyclins

Proteins that activate cyclin-dependent kinases.

CDKs

Enzymes that phosphorylate proteins in cell cycle.

DNA Replication

Process of creating identical DNA strands.

DNA Polymerase

Enzyme adding nucleotides to growing DNA strand.

DNA Primase

Enzyme initiating RNA primer for DNA synthesis.

Leading Strand

DNA strand synthesized continuously in 5' to 3' direction.

Lagging Strand

DNA strand synthesized in fragments opposite to fork.

Okazaki Fragments

Short DNA segments synthesized on the lagging strand.

DNA Helicase

Enzyme unzipping DNA strands during replication.

DNA Topoisomerase

Enzyme preventing supercoiling ahead of replication fork.

Single Strand Binding Proteins

Proteins preventing rejoining of separated DNA strands.

Telomerase

Enzyme adding DNA repeats to chromosome ends.

Chromosomes

DNA strands wrapped around proteins in eukaryotes.

Ploidy

Number of chromosome sets in a cell.

Monoploid

Cell with one set of chromosomes (n).

Diploid

Cell with two sets of chromosomes (2n).

Triploid

Cell with three sets of chromosomes (3n).

Haploid

Cell with half the chromosome number of somatic cells.

Sister Chromatids

Identical copies of a chromosome connected at centromere.

Homologous Chromosomes

Similar chromosomes inherited from each parent.