Table 1.
Timeline of key discoveries in cell division
| 1882 | Symmetric chromosomal division |
| 1902 | Mitotic spindle |
| 1951 | Chiasmata |
| 1953 | DNA replication |
| 1968 | Dynamic instability |
| 1970 | Cell-cycle control |
| 1970 | Cdc mutants |
| 1971 | Maturation-promoting factor |
| 1973 | Actomyosin system in cytokinesis |
| 1974 | The restriction point |
| 1980 | Yeast centrosome |
| 1982 | Cell-cycle observation |
| 1983 | Cyclin characterization |
| 1987 | Replication origin |
| 1988 | Checkpoint control |
| 1988 | Retinoblastom/E2F |
| 1989 | P53 |
| 1991 | Mitotic checkpoints |
| 1991 | APC and proteolysis |
| 1993 | CDK inhibitors |
| 1994 | SCF and F-box proteins |
| 1994 | Par proteins |
| 1997 | Sister-chromatid cohesion; |
| 1997 | In vitro assembly of microtubule aster |
| 1998 | FtsZ |
| 1999 | Min oscillations |
| 2000 | Division genes in C. elegans |
| 2007 | Self organization of Min surface waves |
| 2008 | Reconstitution of contractile FtsZ rings in liposomes |
| 2010 | Division genes in humans |
| 2011 | In vitro assembly of centromere and kinetochore |
| 2013 | Bottom-up reconstruction of cell cortex |