and Cdc25, and low Wee1 and Myt1 activity. Within the range of bistability, a cell’s state depends upon whether it was previously in interphase or M-phase: the threshold concentration for entering M-phase is higher than the minimum concentration that will sustain M-phase activity once a cell has already exited interphase. Scientists have both theoretically and empirically validated the bistable nature of the G2/M transition. The Novak-Tyson model shows that the differential equations modelling the cyclin-B/CDK1-cdc25-Wee1-Myt1 feedback loop admit two stable equilibria over a range of cyclin-B concentrations. Experimentally, bistability has been validated by blocking endogenous cyclin B1 synthesis and titrating interphase and M-phase cells with varying concentrations of non-degradable cyclin B1. These experiments show that the threshold concentration for entering M-phase is higher than the threshold for exiting M-phase: nuclear envelope break-down occurs between 32-40 nm cyclin-B1 for cells exiting interphase, while the nucleus remains disintegrated at concentrations above 16-24 nm in cells already in M-phase. This bistable, hysteretic switch is physiologically necessary for at least three reasons. First, the G2/M transition signals the initiation of several events, such as chromosome condensation and nuclear envelope breakdown, that markedly change the morphology of the cell and are only viable in dividing cells. It is therefore essential that cyclin-B1/CDK1 activation occurs in a switch-like manner; that is, cells should rapidly settle into a discrete M-phase state after the transition, and should not persist in a continuum of intermediate states (e.g., with a partially decomposed nuclear envelope). This requirement is satisfied by the sharp discontinuity separating the interphase and M-phase equilibrium levels of CDK1 activity; as the cyclin-B concentration increases beyond the activation threshold, the cell rapidly switches to the M-phase equilibrium. Secondly, it is also vital that the G2/M transition occur unidirectionally, or only once per cell cycle Biological systems are inherently noisy, and small fluctuations in cyclin B1 concentrations near the threshold for the G2/M transition should not cause the cell to switch back and forth between interphase and M-phase states. This is ensured by the bistable nature of the switch: after the cell transitions to the M-phase state, small decreases in the concentration of cyclin B do not cause the cell to switch back to interphase. Finally, the continuation of the cell cycle requires persisting oscillations in cyclin-B/CDK1 activity as the cell and its descendants transition in and out of M-phase. Negative feedback provides one essential element of this long-term