Mitosis

• Mitosis is the nuclear division giving rise to genetically identical cells in which the chromosome number is maintained by the exact duplication of chromosomes.
• Mitosis is needed for:

  • Growth: in animals each tissue provides its own new cells when they are needed.
  • Repair of damaged tissues: for example, when you cut your skin, mitosis provides new cells to cover up cut.
  • Replacement of worn out cells
  • Asexual reproduction: in plants
• Stem cells: unspecialized cells that divide by mitosis to produce daughter cells that can become specialized for specific functions