Eukaryotic cells that retain the ability to divide show a cell cycle
Some eukaryotic cells — cells that contain a nucleus — repeatedly follow a fixed sequence of stages called the cell cycle. Each cycle ends with the cell dividing to produce new cells.
Formula
Cell cycle: Interphase (G1 → S → G2) → Mitosis → Cytokinesis
Real World
Skin cells in a healing wound re-enter the cell cycle rapidly — after a cut, keratinocytes at the wound edge divide repeatedly to replace lost tissue, completing a full cycle in roughly 24 hours.
Exam Focus
Always distinguish interphase from mitosis — examiners commonly penalise students who say DNA replication occurs 'during mitosis'.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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