Whose end is destruction: cell division and the anaphase-promoting complex

Cell proliferation depends on the duplication of chromosomes followed by the segregation of duplicates (sister chromatids) to opposite poles of the cell prior to cell division (cytokinesis). How cells ensure that chromosome duplication, chromosome segregation, and cell division occur in the correct order and form an immortal reproductive cycle is one of the most fundamental questions in cell biology. Without such coordination, cells would not maintain a constant chromosome number and sexual reproduction as we know and love it would not be possible.