Eukaryotic cells have a four stage life cycle, including the G1 stage of cell growth and organelle replication, the S stage of DNA synthesis and chromosome replication, the G2 stage of preparation for division, and the M stage encompassing both mitosis proper and cytokinesis.
In mitosis, the nucleus divides to produce two new nuclei, each with a complete set of parental chromosomes. In cytokinesis, which usually accompanies mitosis, the cytoplasm of the cell divides to produce two new cells, each with a complete nucleus and set of organelles.
The first three stages of the cell cycle, G1, S, and G2, are known collectively as the cell's interphase, or the period of time that separates the cell's mitotic divisions. A cell typically spends at least ninety percent of its total cell cycle in interphase.
