Cell Reproduction

The cell cycle allows multiicellular organisms to grow and divide and single-celled organisms to reproduce.

The genome of an organism consists of its entire complement of DNA, which encodes the genes that control the organism's characteristics.

Chromosomes must coil to pack DNA into the cell during cell division, a process involving 3 levels of compaction.

Cells must grow and duplicate their internal structures during interphase before they can divide during mitosis.

During the multistep mitotic phase, the cell nucleus divides, and the cell components split into two identical daughter cells.

External factors can influence the cell cycle by inhibiting or initiating cell division.

The cell cycle is controlled by three internal checkpoints that evaluate the condition of the genetic information.

The cell cycle is controlled by regulator molecules that either promote the process or stop it from progressing.

Proto-oncogenes normally regulate cell division, but can be changed into oncogenes through mutation, which may cause cancers to form.

Tumor-suppressor genes keep regulatory mechanisms of cell division under control and prevent abnormal cell growth.

Binary fission is the method by which prokaryotes produce new individuals that are genetically identical to the parent organism.