The Basic Facts About Mitosis

Types of Cell Reproduction

There are two ways for cells to reproduce: asexual and sexual reproduction. Asexual reproduction of cells is the reproduction of all cells in the body(ie: stomach and skin cells) excluding the gametes which are the sperm and egg cells. The reproduction of the gametes is called meiosis. Mitosis on the other hand is the division of a cell resulting to two identical cells.

Interphase

Mitosis has a variety of purposes some of which include growth, repair cuts and wounds, and replace worn-out cells.

Mitosis goes through different stages but before a cell goes through mitosis, it first goes through a stage in the cell cycle called the interphase. In the cell cycle, 90% of the cell cycle is the cell going through interphase while the 10% is the cell going through mitosis. If cells go through mitosis more than they do interphase, uncontrollable cell growth will occur which results to cancer. Interphase is like the cell preparing to go through mitosis where DNA is copied.

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Copying DNA

There are four steps to copying DNA. The first step is for the DNA in the nucleus to unwind where all of the bases are to be exposed. The second step is where transcription takes places which is when the mRNA takes a copy of the genetic code. The third step is for the mRNA to go out of the nucleus. The last step is translation which is when the genetic code from the mRNA is read at a ribosome. The order of the bases determines the order in which amino acids are assembled together to make a protein.

In mitosis, cells can only replicate identical cells so skins cells cannot reproduce stomach cells. Interphace also produces double stranded chromosomes which include two chromatids and a centromere.

Stages of Mitosis

The four stages of mitosis are P.M.A.T. which stands for prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. Prophase is when the chromosomes are condensing. Metaphase is when the nucleus is disassembled and the chromosomes line up in the middle of the cell. Anaphase is when the chromatids are separated from one another and pulled to opposite ends of the cell by being pulled by spindles. Telophase is when the chromatids are already at the opposite ends of the cell and new nuclei start to form. Once the cell finishes telophase, they go through cytokinesis where the cytoplasm splits the two cells. This then completes the mitosis.