AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -A cell spends most of its time in what is called interphase, and during this time it grows, replicates its chromosomes, and prepares for cell division. The cell then leaves interphase, undergoes mitosis, and completes its division.

Detailed explanation-2: -The first stage of interphase is called the G1 phase (first gap) because, from a microscopic aspect, little change is visible. However, during the G1 stage, the cell is quite active at the biochemical level.

Detailed explanation-3: -A common misconception is that interphase is the first stage of mitosis, but since mitosis is the division of the nucleus, prophase is actually the first stage. In interphase, the cell gets itself ready for mitosis or meiosis.

Detailed explanation-4: -Interphase is divided into the first growth (G1), Synthesis (S), and the second growth (G2) phases (figure 1). The growth phases are, as you may have suspected, for the growth of the cell, during the synthesis phase the DNA replication occurs in preparation for the second growth phase.

Detailed explanation-5: -Interphase is the longest part of the cell cycle. This is when the cell grows and copies its DNA before moving into mitosis. During mitosis, chromosomes will align, separate, and move into new daughter cells. The prefix inter-means between, so interphase takes place between one mitotic (M) phase and the next.