Cell Cycle Flashcards
What is the cell cycle?
functional process that a cell goes through until it has divided into 2 genetically identical daughter cells
What are the main functions of the cell cycle?
- replace lost body cells (sloughing of GI epithelia, wound healing, inflammatory response)
- replaced old cells
(old RBCs, destruction in spleen) - undergo clonal expansion (lymphocytosis in infection)
What are the 2 main stages of the eukaryotic cell cycle?
- interphase
- mitosis (M phase)
What are the sub-phases of interphase?
G1, S, G2
What are the stages of mitosis?
PMAT-C prophase (pro)metaphase metaphase anaphase telophase
cytokinesis
Which cells CAN enter the cell cycle?
Cells with:
- HIGH MITOTIC ACTIVITY
- that divide upon appropriate stimulation
Which cells CANNOT enter the cell cycle?
post-mitotic cells = terminally differentiated
these are usually highly specialised cells, which are permanently arrested from cell cycle (senescent)
What are the 3 main types of cells that CAN enter the cell cycle?
- labile
- quiescent (stable)
[ - permanent ]
What are labile cells?
rapidly divide with short G1 phase
never in G0 phase
“rapidly dividing” cells (most affected in chemo
e.g. skin, epithelia haematopoetic tissue
What are quiescent/stable cells?
Leave G0 phase when stimulated (e.g. damage)
Enter into G1 phase from G0
e.g. hepatocytes, perioseal cells, lymphocytes
What are permanent cells?
remain in G0 phase
Can only be replaced by stem cells
e.g. skeletal muscle cells (stem cells = satellite cells), neurons, RBCs
What is the G1 phase of interphase in cell cycle?
- starting point in cell cycle
- longest phase
- one of the gap phases (M-> S phase)
- stimulus required for entry from G0 phase
- phase where cell prepares for S phase
- move on when cell is properly prepared for S phase
- if not, cell cycle is arrested at G1 phase
What is the S phase of interphase in cell cycle ?
DNA replication
- occurs semi-conservatively
- anti-sense strands used as template for new strand (sense) synthesis
- Binding of complimentary bases via Chargaff’s rule
- High replcation fidelity
- will double DNA content at end of S phase
What mediates the high replication fidelity in S phase of cell cycle?
- complimentary base pairing (GC, AT): incorrect pairing will cause unstable H-bond formation
- proof reading DNA Pol activity
When does the cell progress from S phase to G2 phase?
when all chromosomes have been duplicated correctly (and checked for errors)
What is G2 phase?
- shorter than G1 phase (usually)
- preparation for mitosis
- organelle synthesis (e.g. centrioles and mitotic spindle proteins)
- driven by G2 regulatory proteins
- any errors found will arrest the cells in this G2 phase
When do cells progress from G2 phase to M phase?
All in order for M-phase
correct organelles, DNA proofread and checked for errors etc
What is M phase?
= mitotic phase
- MITOSIS + CYTOKINESIS
What is mitosis?
= PMAT
- division of nucleus
What is cytokinesis?
final stage of cell cycle
physical division of cytoplasm and organelles
What occurs in prophase?
- condensation of chromosomes
- centrosomes move to opposite poles
- mitotic spindle forms
What occurs in PROmetaphase?
- disintegration of nuclear envelope
- chromosomes attach to mitotic spindle
What occurs in metaphase?
- centrosome are at opposite poles
- chromosomes line up at the equator
What happens at anaphase?
- pairs of chromosomes separate with one chromosome moving to each pole (soon to be new cell)