The Cell Cycle and Cellular Reproduction

These flashcards cover key concepts related to the cell cycle, cellular reproduction, mitosis, and cancer biology.

Cell Cycle

An orderly set of stages that take place between the time a eukaryotic cell divides and the time the resulting daughter cells divide.

Mitosis

A process that results in two identical cells, each with the same number of chromosomes as the original parent cell.

Interphase

The phase of the cell cycle where the cell spends most of its time, including G1, S, and G2 phases.

Chromatin

The material of which the chromosomes of organisms are composed, consisting of DNA and proteins.

S Phase

The phase of the cell cycle where DNA replication occurs, resulting in chromosomes with two identical chromatids each.

Cytokinesis

The division of the cytoplasm of a parental cell into two daughter cells, following mitosis.

Cleavage Furrow

The indentation that begins to form during animal cytoplasmic division, created by a contractile ring of actin filaments.

Binary Fission

A form of asexual reproduction where a prokaryotic cell divides into two daughter cells, each identical to the parent cell.

Neoplasm

An abnormal growth of tissue; can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

Apoptosis

Programmed cell death that helps maintain homeostasis by regulating cell numbers.

Oncogenes

Genes that have the potential to cause cancer, often due to mutations that lead to uncontrolled cell cycle progression.

Telomerase

An enzyme that adds telomeres to the ends of chromosomes, allowing cells to bypass normal division limits.