Cell Cycle

Think about the life cycle of the chicken. It starts as an egg, hatches into a chick, and eventually becomes an adult chicken.

Similarly, every living cell also has a life cycle called the cell cycle, which ends with cell division.

The cell cycle has two main phases: the interphase and mitotic phase.

In interphase, the cell grows and prepares for division. This phase has three stages. First is the Growth phase 1, where the cell grows in size, and increases the number of some organelles.

Next is the Synthesis phase, where the cell copies its DNA, ensuring each new cell has an identical set of genetic material.

Finally, in the Growth phase 2, the cell produces proteins and checks for DNA errors before starting division.

Now, the cell commits to the mitotic phase, where the genetic material and cellular components are divided into two daughter cells.

However, when the cell cycle doesn’t work properly, cells might divide uncontrollably, leading to diseases like cancer.