Abstract
The extent of literature devoted to the eukaryotic cell cycle as well as the complexity of the underlying ideas, hypotheses, and models has become rather intimidating. However, our current understanding of the processes that produce (usually) two cells out of one is rooted in a relatively limited set of underlying concepts.
Some of these originated in the second half of the twentieth century, whereas others can be traced back to the early days of cell theory. Rather than striving for exhaustive coverage of all existing relevant literature, a task probably far beyond the scope of any individual, I am attempting to map the origins and historical roots of the concepts and ideas that have formed our understanding of eukaryotic cell cycle regulation.
The focus is mainly on the central regulatory circuit comprising cyclin-dependent kinases and cyclins, as well as on some remarkable contributions from plant studies.