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Mitosis is the process by which a eukaryotic cell separates the chromosomes in its cell nucleus into two identical sets, in two separate nuclei. It is generally followed immediately by cytokinesis, which divides the nuclei, cytoplasm, organelles and cell membrane into two cells containing roughly equal shares of these cellular components. Mitosis and cytokinesis together define the mitotic (M) phase of the cell cycle-the division of the mother cell into two daughter cells, genetically identical to each other and to their parent cell. This accounts for approximately 10% of the cell cycle.

Mitosis occurs only in eukaryotic cells and the process varies in different species. For example, animals undergo an "open" mitosis, where the nuclear envelope breaks down before the chromosomes separate, while fungi such as Aspergillus nidulans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) undergo a "closed" mitosis, where chromosomes divide within an intact cell nucleus. Prokaryotic cells, which lack a nucleus, divide by a process called binary fission.

The process of mitosis is fast and highly complex. The sequence of events is divided into stages corresponding to the completion of one set of activities and the start of the next. These stages are prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. During mitosis the pairs of chromatids condense and attach to fibers that pull the sister chromatids to opposite sides of the cell. The cell then divides in cytokinesis, to produce two identical daughter cells which are still diploid cells.

Because cytokinesis usually occurs in conjunction with mitosis, "mitosis" is often used interchangeably with "mitotic phase". However, there are many cells where mitosis and cytokinesis occur separately, forming single cells with multiple nuclei. This occurs most notably among the fungi and slime molds, but is found in various groups. Even in animals, cytokinesis and mitosis may occur independently, for instance during certain stages of fruit fly embryonic development. Errors in mitosis can either kill a cell through apoptosis or cause mutations that may lead to certain types of cancer.

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Related Questions

How many chromosomes do you have in cells before and after mitosis?

Before mitosis, cells have a diploid number of chromosomes, which means they have 46 chromosomes in humans. After mitosis, the daughter cells also have a diploid number of chromosomes, so they also have 46 chromosomes.


In mitosis how many chromosomes are in each daughter cell?

It depends on the species--humans, for example, will have 46 chromosomes in each daughter cell after mitosis, while a dog will have 78. In mitosis, the number of chromosomes in each daughter cell is equal to the number of chromosomes in the interphase parent cell.


When a body cell divides through the process of mitosis what is the number of chromosomes in the daughter cells?

After mitosis each daughter cell contains 46 chromosomes as the DNA replicates itself before the cell divides


How many chromosomes do daughter cells have mitosis?

It depends on how many chromosomes you have before the cell goes through mitosis. For example if you have 12 chromosomes after the cell goes through mitosis and breaks into two cells you will end up with 12 chromosomes in each cell and it will continue the same way on and on.


When a cell divides by mitosis how is the chromosome number affected?

In the beginning of mitosis the number of chromosomes double. But since during mitosis the chromosomes are divided between the two daughter cells the number of chromosomes at the end is the same number as the beginning before doubling.


How many chromosomes will be found in each daughter cell after mitosis?

46 chromosomes will be found in a human daughter cell after mitosis, 23 chromosomes will be found after meiosis.


What can you say about the number of chromosomes received by each daughter cells after mitosis?

The number of chromosomes that each daughter cell has after mitosis is equal to the number of chromosomes in the original (parent) cell.


How many chromosomes are in a daughter cell After mitosis in a human cell?

Mitosis always yields the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell. In humans, 23.


During mitosis if a parent cell has five chromosomes how many chromosomes will each daughter cell have?

The daughter cell will have five (5). The parent cell replicates its DNA in a stage of mitosis called Interphase before it splits, into two new daughter cells with the same number of chromosomes.


What is the number of chromosomes in daughter cells in human mitosis?

46


What happens to the chromosome number during mitosis?

During mitosis, the chromosome number remains the same. The cell duplicates its chromosomes before dividing, so each daughter cell receives the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell.


What happens to the number of chromosomes in mitosis?

During mitosis, the number of chromosomes remains the same. The cell duplicates its chromosomes and then separates them evenly into two daughter cells, each with the same number of chromosomes as the original cell.