The stage of cell cycle which is relatively metabolically less active compared to other stages.

In a diploid cell, in the cell cycle the initial stage of interphase is called G1 stage in which the cells are metabolically most active and does not show the replication of DNA. In S stage, the amount of DNA is doubled. It is metabolically more active than M stage but less than the other two stages. G2 stage is metabolically more active than S stage and M stage. M stage has chromatin in highly condensed stage and most of the genes are not expressed and hence metabolically less active.