The cell cycle is the series of stages that a cell goes through as it grows and divides. It’s also known as the cell-division cycle. 

Stages of the Cell Cycle 

• G1 phase: The cell grows
• S phase: The cell copies its chromosomes, creating two sister chromatids for each chromosome
• G2 phase: The cell checks the duplicated chromosomes and prepares to divide
• M phase: The cell separates the copied chromosomes into two sets, and then divides into two new cells

Interphase

The period between mitotic divisions (G1, S, and G2) is called interphase. During interphase, the cell grows, replicates its chromosomes, and prepares for division. 

Daughter cells

The resulting cells, known as daughter cells, each enter their own interphase and begin a new round of the cell cycle. 

Cell Cycle Regulation

The cell cycle is a key regulatory mechanism of cellular growth and proliferation. Dysregulation of the cell cycle is thought to be the first step in carcinogenesis. 

Cell cycle regulation refers to the control mechanisms that determine whether cells will divide, remain dormant, arrest, or undergo programmed cell death. It plays a crucial role in normal tissue repair and regeneration, and its disruption is a key feature of cancer. Various signaling pathways are involved in cell cycle regulation, and alterations in these pathways can be induced by both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic agents. While significant progress has been made in understanding these pathways, our knowledge of cell cycle regulation is still incomplete. Further research in this area may provide insights into diseases that result from dysregulation of these pathways.

AI generated definition based on: Encyclopedia of Toxicology (Third Edition), 2014

Cell Specialization – How Cells become Specialized

If a cell is specialized, it has unique structures that allow it to carry out its function in the body. All cells start as stem cells, which are cells that can become many other types of cells. They go through a process called differentiation to become specialized. During differentiation, different environmental cues trigger changes in protein synthesis inside the cell. Different genes are turned on or off through gene regulation; this creates different proteins, and thus structure and function for the cell.

For example, all cells in the human body have the same DNA. However, neurons in our brain are very different from skin cells because neurons turn on genes needed for their job and thus make neuronal proteins, and skin cells turn on epithelial genes to make proteins required for their job.

#Biology #Cell Cycle, #Regulation #Cell Specialization