The most basic unit of life is the cell. Cells go through a cycle through which they replicate themselves, the same way that all living beings seek to reproduce. Eventually, a collection of cells forms into specialized groups – like organs – and eventually into a complete and unique being, like you or me. While you might think that being the basic unit of life would make cells very simple, they can actually be pretty complex when you start breaking them down. They might be small, but they hold incredible power.
Many of us probably remember learning about the cell cycle while we were in junior high school science class, but only vaguely remember what the differences are between the different parts of the cell cycle. For example, do you know what the difference between mitosis and the cell cycle is? Let’s have a little refresher course and see how much you can dredge up from those early lessons in biology.
The Cell Cycle has four phases, with two distinct parts. The first part is called Interphase and is made up of the first three phases of the cell cycle – G1, S and G2. These first three phases occur in order to prepare the cell for replication. First, the cell generates the necessary material. Then, the cell replicates its genetic material. Last, metabolic changes occur within the cell the combine the materials that will be needed for the second part of the cell cycle.
The second part is called Mitosis, or the M phase. Mitosis has four phases in and of itself. The first phase is Prophase, which is followed by Metaphase. Next is Anaphase, and finally comes Telophase. These four phases are followed by a process called cytokinesis. During the four phases of Mitosis the cell generates all the materials that are needed to create two brand new cells. These two new cells that are created are often referred to as daughter cells. At the end of Mitosis, the cell should contain two complete copies of the original parent cell’s DNA.
After mitosis, the cell goes through cytokinesis. While mitosis is the way in which the nucleus of the cell divides, cytokinesis is the process by which the cells reorganize themselves and then split apart from each other. Each phase of the cell cycle has to be completed successfully before the next phase can start.
In conclusion, the difference between the cell cycle and mitosis is this: the Cell Cycle is the complete cycle which a cell goes through in order to reproduce, whereas mitosis is just one part of that cycle. Mitosis might be just one part of that cycle, but it is a very important part. Hopefully this little refresher course will give you some insight into just what cells have to go through in order to help keep you happy and healthy.