Time during which a cell is no longer displaying a cell cycle and therefore is either temporarily or permanently no longer dividing.
Also known as resting phase, G0 occurs when a cell has exited the cell cycle. Though described as a quiescent stage, in fact this only refers to its lack of cell division. Otherwise, it is particularly during G0 that a cell does everything that it does other than dividing. That is, it feeds and performs its physiological function. It can even grow in size, but just not in anticipation of cell division since that would require reentry into the cell cycle.
Note that not all cells enter G0 and indeed any cell that is subject to continuous cell division will not emter G0 but instead will persists within the cell cycle. See thus the gap phases G1 and G2.
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