Which phase represents the gap between synthesis and mitosis?

The phase that represents the gap between synthesis and mitosis is G2. This phase occurs after the S phase (where DNA is replicated) and before the cell enters mitosis. During G2, the cell continues to grow and produces the proteins and organelles necessary for mitosis. It acts as a quality control phase, ensuring that DNA has been accurately replicated and that the cell is prepared for division.

This is crucial because any errors that go uncorrected during the G1 and S phases can lead to problems during mitosis, potentially resulting in cell death or disease. The G2 checkpoint verifies whether the cell cycle can proceed to mitosis, emphasizing its role in maintaining genomic integrity.

The other phases referenced in the options serve different functions in the cell cycle, such as G0 being a resting phase, G1 being the initial growth phase before DNA synthesis, and cytokinesis being the process of actually dividing the cell cytoplasm after mitosis has completed, thus not fitting the description given in the question regarding the gap between synthesis and mitosis.