Cell Cycle
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| cell cycle | 细胞周期 | xì bāo zhōu qī |
| interphase | 间期 | jiān qī |
| mitosis | 有丝分裂 | yǒu sī fēn liè |
| cytokinesis | 胞质分裂 | bāo zhì fēn liè |
How one cell becomes two
- You grew from a single cell into trillions, and you heal cuts every day.
- All of that comes from cells dividing to make more cells.
- But a cell cannot just split in half — it must first prepare.
- This orderly sequence of growth and division is the cell cycle.
The cell cycle
- The cell cycle 细胞周期 is the repeating sequence a cell follows to divide.
- It has two main parts: a long growth phase, then division.
- Most of the time is spent growing and preparing.
- Division itself is the shorter, dramatic part.
The cell cycle is the sequence a cell follows to…
The cell cycle takes a cell through growth, DNA copying, and division into two new cells.
Interphase: grow and copy
- Most of the cycle is interphase 间期.
- The cell grows larger and builds more organelles.
- Crucially, it copies all of its DNA, exactly once.
- Now it holds two full sets, ready to be shared.
The stages of mitosis
Drag through prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase to watch the chromosomes separate into two identical cells.
During interphase, the cell mainly…
In interphase the cell grows and copies its DNA, getting ready to divide.
Mitosis and cytokinesis
- Mitosis 有丝分裂 divides the copied DNA into two identical nuclei.
- The chromosomes line up, then separate to opposite ends.
- Then cytokinesis 胞质分裂 splits the cytoplasm into two whole cells.
- The result is two daughter cells, each identical to the parent.
Mitosis produces two daughter cells that are genetically identical to the parent.
Mitosis splits the copied chromosomes evenly, so each daughter cell is an identical copy.
The final splitting of the cytoplasm into two cells is called ____.
After mitosis divides the nucleus, cytokinesis splits the rest of the cell into two.
Select all true statements about the cell cycle.
Mitosis makes two identical cells, not different ones. The other three are correct.
DNA is copied once, during interphase, before mitosis begins. Mitosis does not copy DNA — it only separates the copies already made. Copy once, then split: get that order right.
Cells that never stop dividing:
- Your skin and gut lining wear away constantly.
- Cells there run the cell cycle again and again to replace losses.
- That is why a scrape heals — new cells are made by mitosis to fill the gap.
The cell cycle takes a cell through growth and division. During interphase the cell grows and copies its DNA once. Then mitosis divides the copied DNA into two identical nuclei, and cytokinesis splits the cell into two identical daughter cells.