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How long does it take?

There are many different sorts of cells but all have roughly the same cell cycle. However, the time taken to complete it can vary enormously. The cell cycle of a fly embryo cell takes just eight minutes while a human liver cell cycle can last longer than a year. Some cells can withdraw from the cell cycle and rest before re-entering it. Many cells in growing embryos often skip the resting stages altogether. Cells that have stopped dividing, like brain cells, never re-enter the cell cycle.

Dividing cells.
Dividing cells.
David Becker/Wellcome Photo Library

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