Chapter 7: Cell Division and Mitosis
Cell division is the process by which a parent cell divides into two or more daughter cells. Cell division usually occurs as part of a larger cell cycle. In eukaryotes, there are two distinct types of cell division: a type used to generate gametes called meiosis, and a type used by somatic cells called mitosis.
7.1 — The Cell Cycle
The cell cycle, or cell-division cycle, is the series of events that take place in a cell that cause it to divide into two daughter cells. These events include the duplication of its DNA (DNA replication) and some of its organelles, and subsequently the partitioning of its cytoplasm and other components into two daughter cells in a process called cell division.
In cells with nuclei (eukaryotes), the cell cycle is divided into two main stages:
• Interphase — the period of the cell cycle during which the cell grows and DNA is replicated.
• Mitotic phase — the period of the cell cycle during which the cell divides.
7.2 — Stages of Mitosis
Mitosis consists of four basic phases: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. Some textbooks list five, breaking prophase into early and late stages. Cytokinesis is the physical process of cell division, which divides the cytoplasm of a parental cell into two daughter cells.