Frozen Evolution. Or, that’s not the way it is, Mr. Darwin. A Farewell to Selfish Gene.

The cell cycle is an aggregate of processes through which two or more daughter cells are formed from one parent cell. Temporally, this is delimited as the interval from the instant of commencing one cell division to the commencement of the next cell division. In unicellular, asexually reproducing organisms, the cell cycle is identical with the life cycle, while, in sexually reproducing organisms and multicellular organisms, the life cycle is more complicated and includes more or even a great many cell cycles. Duplication of DNA in a process of replication is a fundamental event in the cell cycle. DNA replication can occur (and in prokaryotes fundamentally occurs) simultaneously with cell growth. After a certain limiting size is attained, the cell divides into two or more parts, each of which takes part of the genetic material with it. Under these conditions, however, there is a danger that cell division will occur prematurely, i.e. at the time prior to completion of DNA replication. In this case, one of the daughter cells would bear incomplete genetic information and it or its progeny would be destined for death following dilution or consumption of the molecules that it would not be able to synthesize anew as a consequence of the absent genetic information.