Question

Once cell division ends, the cells will exit the cell cycle and enter the ______________ stage. a) G0 phase b) S phase c) M phase d) G2 phase

Answer 1

Once cell division ends, the cells will exit the cell cycle and enter the G0 phase stage.

The correct answer is a) G0 phase, which is a resting phase that cells enter when they have ceased dividing, either temporarily or permanently.

Step-by-step explanation:

When cell division ends, the cells will exit the cell cycle and enter the G0 phase. The G0 phase is a resting phase where cells may either temporarily or permanently cease dividing. For example, nerve cells, which are terminally differentiated, enter G0 permanently and no longer cycle. During interphase, cells undergo G1, S, and G2 phases, in which they grow, replicate DNA, and prepare for mitosis. If cells do not progress beyond G1 for any number of reasons, such as not receiving the proper signals to continue dividing, they enter the G0 phase.

The G0 phase is distinct from the S phase, where DNA replication occurs, the G2 phase, where final preparations for mitosis are completed, and the M phase, which includes mitosis and cytokinesis. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is: a) G0 phase.