What cellular process involves mitosis?
The cellular process that involves mitosis is called cell division. Mitosis is a part of the cell division process in eukaryotic cells, where a parent cell divides into two identical daughter cells. This process is crucial for growth, repair, and maintenance of multicellular organisms. To understand this process further, let's break it down into steps:
1. Interphase: Before mitosis begins, the cell undergoes a period of growth and DNA replication known as interphase. During interphase, the cell prepares itself for division by duplicating its DNA and increasing the sizes of its organelles.
2. Prophase: This is the first stage of mitosis. The chromatin (unwound DNA) condenses and forms visible chromosomes. The nuclear membrane starts to break down, and structures called spindle fibers begin to form.
3. Metaphase: In metaphase, the chromosomes align in the middle of the cell, forming a plane called the metaphase plate. The spindle fibers attach to each chromosome at the centromere.
4. Anaphase: During anaphase, the spindle fibers shorten and pull the sister chromatids apart. Each chromatid becomes an individual chromosome and moves toward opposite poles of the cell.
5. Telophase: In telophase, nuclear envelopes start forming around the sets of chromosomes at each pole. The chromosomes begin to decondense, and the spindle fibers disassemble.
6. Cytokinesis: This is the final stage of cell division, where the cytoplasm divides to form two separate daughter cells. In animal cells, a cleavage furrow forms, while in plant cells, a cell plate develops.
By understanding the process of mitosis, we can appreciate how cells divide and produce new cells with identical genetic material.