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A test question that I completed as True just wanted to know if I'm right or not:

The Question goes as follows:

Please write True or False for the following question; if False, correct the Bolded portion!

Interphase is the process in which DNA is duplicated/replicated and is the longest phase.

Context: The test was to do with animal and human cells and mitosis

I would really appreciate a simple answer, as some google posts say Yes and some say no, so I kind of am confused.

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2 Answers 2

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As the interphase can be subdivided into three sub-phases (also, simply, phases or stages), namely Gap 1 (G1), S and Gap 2 (G2), the question can be misleading. DNA synthesis/replication occurs only in the S (from Synthesis) sub-phase. The question seems wrong on two grounds:

  1. Interphase is not "the" phase in which (only) DNA replication occurs. The "S" phase would be the subject of the sentence. To say Interphase is the phase in which DNA replication occurs is to forego cell changes during G1 and G2 phases, rendering this definition an improper one.

  2. Cells may go in a quiescent, G0 phase. Some resources may consider G0 as part of the interphase. Depending on many factors, for a given cell, G0 may be transient or permanent. If it is permanent, well, the interphase in this case may never even deal with DNA replication.

Despite these intricacies, given the context, the question to your problem is nonetheless NOT FALSE (but, also, not true in a clear-cut, objective manner, as one would expect in an exam). You have not provided what the bolded part was (subject to change). Interphase is indeed the longest phase (the other large phase being the cell division - Mitosis/Meiosis - or M-phase, which is shorter). Thus, I cannot see how one may change only a part of the sentence to make it truer (it would take at least two amendments). Going with TRUE will most likely give you the points, unless other wrongful interpretations may have been approached by whoever created this test item.

PS

The G1, S, G2 are not "checkpoints", as in the chosen answer. Those would be G1/S, G2/M, or metaphase checkpoint (most important ones).

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  • $\begingroup$ I have updated my comment to include the bolded part sorry for the misinformation $\endgroup$
    – A guy with questions
    Commented Dec 28, 2022 at 18:40
  • $\begingroup$ No misinformation here, only a lost piece of information. I would leave the phrase unchanged, giving me the best shot at points, but would not be extra-surprised if one phrased it wrong and his scale expects the student to replace "interphase" with "S-phase". To say "Interphase is the process in which DNA is duplicated/replicated" is a bit odd, but not incorrect per se. $\endgroup$
    – user73989
    Commented Dec 28, 2022 at 19:11
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It would be true, Because interphase takes about 90% of cell division and comes before Mitosis, and interphase contains three subphases, which are the following

G1 - the Cell PREPS to preform DNA Replication; S - DNA Replication occurs; G2 - cell makes protein and organelles in prep for Mitosis.

Cells that do not longer divide go in a quiescent, G0 phase.

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