Optometry Admission Test (OAT) Practice

What effect does G1 have on a cell?

1. Increased hormone production

2. Cellular respiration regulation

3. Doubling of organelles and cytoplasm

4. DNA repair processes

The correct answer is: Doubling of organelles and cytoplasm

G1, or Gap 1 phase, is one of the stages in the cell cycle that occurs after the mitotic phase and before DNA synthesis. During this critical period, the cell is metabolically active and focuses on several essential processes that prepare it for DNA replication. The correct answer, which states that G1 is associated with the doubling of organelles and cytoplasm, highlights one of the primary functions of this phase. Cells grow in size, produce the proteins necessary for DNA replication, and synthesize new organelles to ensure that, when they enter the S phase (where DNA replication occurs), they have the necessary components to support two daughter cells. In this phase, cellular resources are also allocated to ensure that when the cell reaches the next stage of the cycle, it has sufficient cytoplasmic volume and organelle numbers to divide successfully. This preparation is crucial for a healthy and effective cell division process in subsequent phases. The other answer choices relate to processes that occur in different parts of the cell cycle or pertain to different cellular mechanisms, but G1 specifically emphasizes growth, organelle duplication, and cytoplasmic expansion.