The Cell Cycle: Key Concepts and Processes

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to the eukaryotic cell cycle, mitotic cell division, and associated processes.

Eukaryotic Cell Cycle

A highly regulated series of events through which a eukaryotic cell grows and divides.

Mitosis

A phase of the cell cycle where the cell's nucleus divides into two nuclei, each with the same number of chromosomes as the original cell.

Meiosis

A special type of cell division that produces gametes with half the number of chromosomes.

Sister Chromatids

Identical copies of a chromosome, connected at the centromere, formed during DNA replication.

Centromere

The region of DNA where sister chromatids are joined together and where kinetochores attach during cell division.

Cytokinesis

The process that divides the cytoplasm of a parental cell into two daughter cells after mitosis.

Interphase

The phase of the cell cycle during which the cell prepares for division, consisting of G1, S, and G2 phases.

G1 Phase

The first gap phase in interphase where the cell grows and duplicates its organelles.

G2 Phase

The second gap phase in interphase where the cell checks for errors in DNA replication and prepares for mitosis.

Karyotype

The number, size, and shape of chromosomes in a cell, useful for identifying chromosomal abnormalities.

Mitotic Spindle

A structure composed of microtubules that segregates chromosomes during mitosis.

Centrosome

The microtubule organizing center in animal cells that duplicates during interphase and helps in organizing the mitotic spindle.

Checkpoints of the Cell Cycle Control System

Control mechanisms in the cell cycle that ensure proper division and prevent errors.

Density-Dependent Inhibition

A phenomenon where crowded cells stop dividing, a regulatory mechanism for cell proliferation.

Transformation

The process by which a normal cell becomes a cancerous cell due to mutations.

Metastasis

The spread of cancer cells from the original site to other parts of the body, forming new tumors.

Cleavage Furrow

The indentation in the cell's surface that begins the process of cytokinesis in animal cells.

Cell Plate

The structure that forms during cytokinesis in plant cells to separate the two daughter cells.