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So lets learn about the different phases of the cell cycle that Patch went through.
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There are three different phases that make up Interphase.
Those phases are G1, S, and G2.
They are also called Growth 1, S phase, and Growth 2.
Cells spend most of their life in Interphase.
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Growth 1
G1 is the stage where Patch grows, and becomes more complex. If Patch decides to rest in G1 for a while, it is called G0 or the resting stage.
S Stage
During the S stage, Patch's DNA in his nucleus makes a copy of itself to prepare for cell division.
Growth 2
G2 is where Patch grows new organelles in his cytoplasm.
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Now that Patch is big and full of DNA, he is ready to begin the process of Mitosis.
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Prophase is the first phase of mitosis. During this phase, Patch's nucleolus disappears and chromosomes form. Chromosomes are packed together. Spindle fibers form outside of Patch's nucleus, and migrate to opposite ends of the cell. At the end of prophase, Patch's nuclear membrane dissolves away.
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Metaphase
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Metaphase is the second phase of mitosis. The center of Patch's chromosomes connect to the spindle fibers. The spindle fibers help pull the chromosomes into a line in the middle of the cell.
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Anaphase is the third phase of mitosis. In this phase, Patch's chromosomes split in half to form sister chromatids. The sister chromatids are then pulled to opposite ends of the cell by the spindle fibers. This phase ends when the chromatids, now called daughter chromosomes, reach the sides of the cell and stop moving.
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Telophase is the fourth and final phase of mitosis. During this phase, a nuclear membrane forms around each set of Patch's daughter chromosomes, and the nucleolus reappears in each nucleus. The daughter chromosomes then unwind to creat two new sets of DNA.
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Now Patch has completed mitosis, but still needs to finish dividing completely. This stage is call Cytokinesis, and it is the final stage of the cell cycle.
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After mitosis is complete, two identical nuclei are formed. The sides of the cells pinch inward, dividing the cytoplasm and forming two daughter cells, each containing a complete copy of the parent cell's DNA. This means Patch is finally done with the cell cycle.
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By completing the cell cycle and mitosis, Patch has asexually reproduced two twin daughter cells. Their names are Spot and Dot, and as they grow up, they too will go through the cell cycle just like Patch. They may even create more cells like Patch if they are lucky.
The End
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