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Article: Mitosis
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- Biology
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Mitosis
Mitosis is the process of dividing
chromosomes
during cell division in
eukaryotic cells
. Mitosis is followed by cytokinesis, the splitting of the
cytoplasm
. In cell division, a parent cell splits, producing two daughter cells that
are identical to the parent. Eukaryotic unicellular organisms like the protist
Amoeba
use cell division in the production of new individuals, propagating their species. Multicellular eukaryotic organisms, including plants, animals, and fungi, rely on cell division to grow larger by adding new cells. They also use cell division to repair injured or worn-out tissues by replacing damaged cells with new cells.
The function of mitosis is to divide ...