Mitosis why it happens

As Figure 4 illustrates, the cytoplasm then divides to produce two identical cells. Why is mitosis important? As previously mentioned, most eukaryotic cells that are not involved in the production of gametes undergo mitosis. These cells, known as somatic cells , are important to the survival of eukaryotic organisms, and it is essential that somatic parent and daughter cells do not vary from one another. With few exceptions, the mitotic process ensures that this is the case. Therefore, mitosis ensures that each successive cellular generation has the same genetic composition as the previous generation, as well as an identical chromosome set.

Watch this historic video from to see mitosis in action. Key Questions How do centromeres work? Key Concepts chromosomes replication meiosis. Topic rooms within Genetics Close. No topic rooms are there. Browse Visually. Other Topic Rooms Genetics. Student Voices. Creature Cast. Simply Science. Green Screen. Green Science. Bio 2. The Success Code. Why Science Matters. The Beyond. Plant ChemCast. Postcards from the Universe. Brain Metrics. Mind Read. Eyes on Environment. Cells divide for two reasons:.

Interphase : Each chromosome undergoes replication, making an identical copy of itself. At this point, the chromosomes are still long and thin, and are not visible inside the nucleus. Cells spend most of their life in this non-dividing phase. See the graphic below. Mitosis is a process where a single cell divides into two identical daughter cells cell division.

Illustration showing the five stages of mitosis. Image credit: Genome Research Limited. A stem cell is a cell with the unique ability to develop into specialised cell types in the body. In the future they may be used to replace cells and tissues that have been damaged or lost due to disease. Cells are the basic building blocks of living things. The human body is composed of trillions of cells, all with their own specialised function.

DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid is a long molecule that contains our unique genetic code. Like a recipe book it holds the instructions for making all the proteins in our bodies. Chromosomes are bundles of tightly coiled DNA located within the nucleus of almost every cell in our body. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes.

Meiosis is a process where a single cell divides twice to produce four cells containing half the original amount of genetic information. These cells are our sex cells — sperm in males, eggs in females.

Cells divide and reproduce in two ways, mitosis and meiosis. Mitosis results in two identical daughter cells, whereas meiosis results in four sex cells. Below we highlight the keys differences and similarities between the two types of cell division.

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