Final answer:
Eukaryotic cells are often used in studies of the cell cycle due to their ability to be paused in the G0 phase and rapid progression through G1 and G2 phases upon re-entry into the cell cycle. Internal and external signals provide checkpoints that control the cell cycle progression, and disruptions can cause diseases like cancer.
Step-by-step explanation:
Many features of eukaryotic cells make them suitable for biochemical studies of the cell-cycle control system. For example, the cells are unusually large and are arrested in a G0-like phase. When the cells are triggered to resume cycling, the cell divisions have especially short G1 and G2 phases and occur rapidly.
Eukaryotic cells in scientific research are often used because they can be paused in the cell cycle at the G0 phase, which is a state outside of the active cell cycle where cells do not divide. This allows researchers to synchronize cells to ensure they are all at the same stage in the cell cycle when they resume division, enabling precise studies of the mechanisms that control cell cycle progression.
Understanding the control of the cell cycle is crucial as it involves checkpoints such as the G1 checkpoint, DNA synthesis checkpoint, and mitosis checkpoint. These checkpoints are regulated by internal and external signals, including growth factors, cyclins, and cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks), to ensure proper cell division. Disruptions in this regulation can lead to conditions like cancer, characterized by uncontrolled cell growth.