Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Cells, Microbes & Viruses => Topic started by: sharon on 09/05/2011 08:30:02

Title: Do cells carry out their normal functions throughout the cell cycle?
Post by: sharon on 09/05/2011 08:30:02

sharon asked the Naked Scientists:
   
During what phase of the cell cycle does a cell carry out normal functions?

What do you think?

Title: Do cells carry out their normal functions throughout the cell cycle?
Post by: Mr. Data on 02/07/2011 18:16:21

Quote from: sharon on 09/05/2011 08:30:02

sharon asked the Naked Scientists:
   
During what phase of the cell cycle does a cell carry out normal functions?

What do you think?

What are ''normal functions'' - surely any cell in a different chemical environments will treat itself differently due to the background interference of such chemical compounds which may act differently to the cells composition. By lifetime of a cell, and by it's normal functions, is about as vague as stating an electrons half life, and it's normal functions (which may include an array of different things).

Title: Do cells carry out their normal functions throughout the cell cycle?
Post by: CliffordK on 03/07/2011 06:03:09

Everything a cell does might be considered "normal functions". 

However, for example, a spore phase might be considered quite different than other phases in cellular life.

Likewise, keratinocytes have a phase of keratinization followed by essentially cellular suicide...  which is quite "normal" for them, but would not be normal for other cells.

Reproductive cycles might be considered a very specialized part of most cells life cycle.