In which phase does a cell have the least amount of DNA?

In which phase does a cell have the least amount of DNA?

• A. Prophase
• B. Go
• C. Metaphase
• D. Anaphase

Answer: (B)

The phase in which a cell has the least amount of DNA is during the G0 phase. G0 is a resting state where cells are not actively preparing to divide and may exit the cell cycle entirely, entering a quiescent state. During G0, the DNA content remains constant but is not duplicated, hence it is at its lowest relative to the full cycle, as the cell is not in a stage of replication. In contrast, during other phases like prophase, metaphase, and anaphase, the cell is actively engaged in mitosis, where DNA is tightly coiled and duplicated in preparation for division. Because these phases involve the separation and alignment of sister chromatids, the amount of DNA present is temporarily higher during this time than in the G0 phase. Therefore, G0 is definitively the phase with the least amount of DNA when considering the entire cell cycle context.

The phase in which a cell has the least amount of DNA is during the G0 phase. G0 is a resting state where cells are not actively preparing to divide and may exit the cell cycle entirely, entering a quiescent state. During G0, the DNA content remains constant but is not duplicated, hence it is at its lowest relative to the full cycle, as the cell is not in a stage of replication.

In contrast, during other phases like prophase, metaphase, and anaphase, the cell is actively engaged in mitosis, where DNA is tightly coiled and duplicated in preparation for division. Because these phases involve the separation and alignment of sister chromatids, the amount of DNA present is temporarily higher during this time than in the G0 phase. Therefore, G0 is definitively the phase with the least amount of DNA when considering the entire cell cycle context.