Questions and Answers
What is the average height of a person in meters?
What is the diameter of a cell in micrometers?
What is the primary function of a cell during interphase?
What is the exception to cells spending most of their time in interphase?
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How does the cell cycle resemble the seasons?
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What is the term for the life span of a cell?
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What is the main difference between interphase and the other stages of the cell cycle?
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What happens to cells during cell division?
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What is the main reason behind cancer cells' desire to divide more rapidly?
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What is the longest phase of the cell cycle?
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What occurs during the S phase of the cell cycle?
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What is the purpose of the G2 phase?
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What happens to the cells that enter the G0 phase?
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What is the result of DNA replication during the S phase?
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What are microtubules used for during mitosis?
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What happens to cells after they complete mitosis?
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What is the main difference between the G1 and G2 phases?
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How do cells in the G0 phase typically behave?
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Study Notes
Cell Size and Structure
- The average person is about 2 meters tall, while a cell has a diameter of about 100 micrometers, which is approximately one one-millionth of the size of a human being.
Cell Growth and Division
- Cells grow and divide, a process similar to human growth and reproduction.
- The life span of a cell can be described by the cell cycle, which has different stages or "seasons" similar to the seasons in a year.
Cell Cycle
- The cell cycle has two main overarching stages: interphase and mitosis.
- Interphase is the longest phase of the cell cycle, where cells spend most of their time, and is characterized by cell growth but not cell division.
- Mitosis is the stage of active cell division.
Interphase
- Interphase consists of three sub-stages: G1, S, and G2.
- G1 (Gap 1) is the first sub-stage of interphase, where cells produce extra organelles, such as ribosomes and proteins, that will be useful for cell division.
- S (Synthesis) is the second sub-stage, where DNA replication occurs, resulting in 46 pairs of chromosomes.
- G2 (Gap 2) is the third sub-stage, where cells prepare for mitosis by making microtubules and other preparations.
Exceptions to the Cell Cycle
- Cancer cells are an exception to the normal cell cycle, as they have a defect that causes them to divide more and grow less.
- Some cells, such as neurons, enter a phase called G0, where they do not divide and instead focus on growth.
Mitosis
- Mitosis is the final stage of the cell cycle, where the cell divides into two daughter cells.
- After mitosis, each new cell enters the G1 phase, where it grows and prepares for another round of cell division.
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Description
Comparing the size of a human being to the smallest unit of life, a cell, to understand the vast difference in scales.
