What are the stages of the cell cycle?

The correct answer identifies the recognized stages of the cell cycle as interphase, which is subdivided into G1 (Gap 1), S (Synthesis), and G2 (Gap 2), and the mitotic phase, which includes mitosis and cytokinesis. This framework is essential for understanding how cells grow, replicate their DNA, and ultimately divide.

Interphase is the longest phase of the cell cycle, during which the cell prepares for division. In G1, the cell grows and synthesizes proteins necessary for DNA replication. The S phase is where DNA replication occurs, resulting in two copies of each chromosome. G2 is the phase where the cell continues to grow and prepares for mitosis, ensuring that all cellular components are ready for division.

The mitotic phase follows interphase and consists of mitosis, where the duplicated chromosomes are separated into two new nuclei, and cytokinesis, which is the physical division of the cytoplasm, resulting in two distinct daughter cells. This combination of interphase and the mitotic phase encapsulates the entire process of the cell cycle leading to cell proliferation.

Other choices mention processes or phases that are either not stages of the cell cycle or do not adequately describe the entire process involved in cellular division. For example