Slide 3 of 79
Notes:
The cell cycle is the fundamental process of biological growth and reproduction. There are 4 main stages of the cell cycle. DNA is replicated during a restricted period of the cell cycle called S phase (S for Synthesis). Later the replicated DNA molecules are carefully separated during mitosis (M phase). S and M phases are separated by two gaps. After mitosis the cell divides into two daughter cells.
The events of the cell cycle are tightly regulated and must occur in the correct order. A major challenge of the molecular biologists is to understand the machinery that controls the order of cell cycle events. It is a complex control system that will require quantitative tools for a complete understanding. We have been working with a model of the embryonic cell cycle in Xenopus. A species of frogs found in Africa.
