WGU C190- Biology: Unit 5. Exam Questions and answers, rated A+ 2024

Cell Cycle - the "life cycle" of a cell. It is the set of stages that a cell goes through during its lifetime. - Cells go through five major stages of development: G1, synthesis (S), G2, mitosis (M), and cytokinesis. Interphase - divided into three phases: G1, S, and G2. - In G1, the cell is actively growing and producing enzymes and other components needed for the next stages of the cell cycle. Once the cell has produced everything it needs, it moves on to the next stage of the cell cycle. - The next stage of interphase is the S phase; the “S” refers to “synthesis” because this is the stage of the cell cycle that a duplicate copy of the chromosomes is synthesized (built). Copying of DNA is also called DNA replication. Replication enzymes are used to build two identical copies of the DNA. Once the DNA is fully copied, the cell moves on to the next stage. - The G2 stage is similar to G1 in that the cell is actively growing and producing materials needed for the next stage. It is also checking its DNA for errors. Once the cell is ready, it moves on to the next stage. Mitosis - Once the cell has copied its DNA and has ensured that all necessary components are in place, it is ready to split the single nucleus into two separate nuclei. - Mitosis separates the DNA into two identical copies in two nuclei Cytokinesis - separates the nuclei into two new cells. - The root "cyto-" means "cell" and "kinesis" refers to movement because the cells are moving apart