cell division
cell division Process by which living cells reproduce and enable an organism to grow. In eukaryote cells, a single cell splits in two, first by division of the nucleus (occurring by mitosis or meiosis), then by fission of the cytoplasm. For growth and asexual reproduction, where the daughter cells are required to be genetically identical to their parents, mitosis is used. Meiosis results in daughter cells having half the number of chromosomes (haploid). This type of division results in the production of gametes (sex cells), which allow genetic information from two parents to be combined at fertilization, when the diploid number of chromosomes is restored. See also alternation of generations
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cell division
