What is the term for the life cycle of a cell from formation to division?

What is the term for the life cycle of a cell from formation to division?

• A. Cell cycle
• B. Cell proliferation
• C. Apoptosis
• D. Cell differentiation

Answer: (A)

The term "cell cycle" refers to the series of stages that a cell goes through from its formation until it divides into two daughter cells. This cycle is crucial for growth, development, and tissue repair in multicellular organisms. The cell cycle is typically divided into several phases: interphase (which includes the G1, S, and G2 phases) and the mitotic phase (M phase), during which the cell prepares for and undergoes division. Understanding the cell cycle is essential for studying how cells grow and multiply, as well as how disruptions in this process can lead to diseases such as cancer. Other concepts like cell proliferation refer more broadly to the process of cell reproduction and increase in cell number, but do not encompass the complete lifecycle from formation to division. Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death, which is distinct from the lifecycle of a cell, while cell differentiation involves the process by which a less specialized cell becomes a more specialized one, also separate from the idea of the cell's lifecycle. Therefore, the term "cell cycle" encapsulates the entirety of a cell's journey from its creation through to the point of division.

The term "cell cycle" refers to the series of stages that a cell goes through from its formation until it divides into two daughter cells. This cycle is crucial for growth, development, and tissue repair in multicellular organisms. The cell cycle is typically divided into several phases: interphase (which includes the G1, S, and G2 phases) and the mitotic phase (M phase), during which the cell prepares for and undergoes division.

Understanding the cell cycle is essential for studying how cells grow and multiply, as well as how disruptions in this process can lead to diseases such as cancer. Other concepts like cell proliferation refer more broadly to the process of cell reproduction and increase in cell number, but do not encompass the complete lifecycle from formation to division. Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death, which is distinct from the lifecycle of a cell, while cell differentiation involves the process by which a less specialized cell becomes a more specialized one, also separate from the idea of the cell's lifecycle. Therefore, the term "cell cycle" encapsulates the entirety of a cell's journey from its creation through to the point of division.