cell cycle

(SEL SY-kul) The process a cell goes through each time it divides. The cell cycle consists of a series of steps during which the chromosomes and other cell material double to make two copies. The cell then divides into two daughter cells, each receiving one copy of the doubled material. The cell cycle is complete when each daughter cell is surrounded by its own outer membrane. Also called mitotic cycle.

The sequence of stages that a cell passes through between one division and the next. The cell cycle oscillates between mitosis (M) and the interphase, which is divided into the G₁ phase (involving a high rate of biosynthesis and growth), the S phase (in which the DNA content is doubled as a consequence of chromosome replication), and the G₂ phase (preparatory for cell division ).

The orderly sequence of events by which the cell duplicates its contents and divides into two.