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  1. The objective of Sara Kilgore’s piece, A Starry Night of Mitosis, is to summarize the cell cycle through cellular division; the general stages of eukaryotic somatic cell reproduction. It is shown in the piece that the cell cycle is broken down into three primary stages: interphase, mitosis, and cytokinesis. The first phase and the phase that a cell spends most of its time in is interphase, which is when the cell performs its general functions and prepares for cellular division. Interphase is broken down into three distinct phases: G1, S, and G2. There is also a G0 phase, however, it is not a phase of the eukaryotic reproductive cycle, it is merely the period of time in which the cell is functioning regularly. G1 is the growth stage, where the cell grows and organelles begin to replicate for division. The S phase is when DNA replication occurs and the whole genome is replicated. The G2 phase is when the final cell growth occurs, copies of all organelles are all created, and DNA is checked for damage or errors. The ending of the G2 phase signifies the ending of the interphase and the beginning of mitosis.
    Mitosis is broken down into four stages: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. The process of mitosis primarily involves the separation of replicated chromosomes; previously in interphase all chromosomes were replicated. In prophase chromatids condense into chromosomes, or it could be said that loose DNA condenses into visible distinct chromosomes. Additionally, mitotic spindles form, and the nuclear membrane breaks down. In metaphase, the mitotic spindles pull the chromosomes to the equator of the cell and begin pushing the cell apart at opposing poles. In anaphase, the sister chromatids separate, pulling towards the opposing poles as the poles are continuously pushed further apart. In telophase, the nuclear envelope begins to reform around the chromosomes, the chromosomes begin to decondense, and the mitotic spindles break down. When the nuclear envelope begins to reform, telophase is over, as is the mitosis phase of the eukaryotic somatic cell reproduction cycle.
    The final phase of this cellular reproductive cycle is cytokinesis. Once the nuclear envelope forms, the cytoplasm will separate the two nuclear envelopes into two identical daughter cells where the cellular cycle will start again.
    The piece demonstrates the cycle in a practical as well as creative way by recreating a famous artistic piece and implementing the cycle within the piece in such a way that it appears that the further the displacement in the piece, the longer time period in which the cell will spend traveling through these steps. Though this may be an abstract view of the art, which is not a scale representation.

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