Cell-cycle in short

[This article is based on the Cell cycle wikipedia entry]

The cell cycle is the series of events that take place in a eukaryotic cell leading to its replication. These events can be divided in two periods: interphase (I) where the cell grows, accumulating nutrients needed for mitosis and duplicating its DNA and the mitotic (M) phase, during which the cell splits itself into two distinct cells. The interphas is divided in Gap1 (G1), Synthesis (S) and Gap2 (G2). Here it is a sketch (from nih):

The various stages of interphase are not usually morphologically distinguishable, on the other hand, they are characterized by different and distinct set of biochemical processes. In the S sub-phase DNA synthesis commences; when it is complete, all of the chromosomes have been replicated, i.e., each chromosome has two (sister) chromatids. Thus, during this phase, the amount of DNA in the cell has effectively doubled, though the ploidy of the cell remains the same.

Regulation of the cell cycle involves steps crucial to the cell, including detecting and repairing genetic damage, and provision of various checks to prevent uncontrolled cell division. The molecular events that control the cell cycle are ordered and directional; that is, each process occurs in a sequential fashion and it is impossible to “reverse” the cycle.

A Nobel prize was awarded in 2001 for their discovery of these central molecules.