A diagram of the cell cycle is shown below.

Which of the following statements best describes what happens during the G1 phase of the cell cycle?
A.
The cell's DNA is replicated.
B.
The cell prepares for mitosis.
C.
The contents of the cell divide.
D.
The cell synthesizes proteins.

D. The cell synthesizes proteins. During the G1 phase, the cell is actively growing and carrying out metabolic processes, including synthesizing proteins needed for cell division.