Why do cells undergo mitosis

Finally, during telophase, a nuclear membrane forms around each set of chromosomes to separate the nuclear DNA from the cytoplasm. The chromosomes begin to uncoil, which makes them diffuse and less compact. Along with telophase, the cell undergoes a separate process called cytokinesis that divides the cytoplasm of the parental cell into two daughter cells.

Further Exploration Concept Links for further exploration chromatin chromosome prophase diploid prometaphase spindle fibers replication eukaryote cytoplasm nucleus mitosis metaphase cytokinesis meiosis anaphase telophase. Related Concepts You have authorized LearnCasting of your reading list in Scitable. Do you want to LearnCast this session? This article has been posted to your Facebook page via Scitable LearnCast. Mitosis is how somatic — or non-reproductive cells — divide.

Somatic cells make up most of your body's tissues and organs, including skin, muscles, lungs, gut, and hair cells. Reproductive cells like eggs are not somatic cells.

In mitosis, the important thing to remember is that the daughter cells each have the same chromosomes and DNA as the parent cell. The daughter cells from mitosis are called diploid cells. Diploid cells have two complete sets of chromosomes.

Since the daughter cells have exact copies of their parent cell's DNA, no genetic diversity is created through mitosis in normal healthy cells.

Mitosis cell division creates two genetically identical daughter diploid cells. The major steps of mitosis are shown here. Before a cell starts dividing, it is in the "Interphase. Interphase is the period when a cell is getting ready to divide and start the cell cycle. During this time, cells are gathering nutrients and energy.

The parent cell is also making a copy of its DNA to share equally between the two daughter cells. The mitosis division process has several steps or phases of the cell cycle—interphase, prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase, and cytokinesis—to successfully make the new diploid cells.

The mitosis cell cycle includes several phases that result in two new diploid daughter cells. Each phase is highlighted here and shown by light microscopy with fluorescence.

Click on the image to learn more about each phase. When a cell divides during mitosis, some organelles are divided between the two daughter cells. For example, mitochondria are capable of growing and dividing during the interphase, so the daughter cells each have enough mitochondria. The Golgi apparatus, however, breaks down before mitosis and reassembles in each of the new daughter cells. Many of the specifics about what happens to organelles before, during and after cell division are currently being researched.

You can read more about cell parts and organelles by clicking here. Meiosis is the other main way cells divide. Meiosis is cell division that creates sex cells, like female egg cells or male sperm cells. What is important to remember about meiosis? In meiosis, each new cell contains a unique set of genetic information. After meiosis, the sperm and egg cells can join to create a new organism.

Meiosis is why we have genetic diversity in all sexually reproducing organisms. During meiosis, a small portion of each chromosome breaks off and reattaches to another chromosome. This process is called "crossing over" or "genetic recombination. The end result of meiosis is four haploid daughter cells that each contain different genetic information from each other and the parent cell. Click for more detail.

Meiosis I halves the number of chromosomes and is also when crossing over happens. Meiosis II halves the amount of genetic information in each chromosome of each cell. The end result is four daughter cells called haploid cells.

Haploid cells only have one set of chromosomes - half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell. Before meiosis I starts, the cell goes through interphase. Just like in mitosis, the parent cell uses this time to prepare for cell division by gathering nutrients and energy and making a copy of its DNA.

During the next stages of meiosis, this DNA will be switched around during genetic recombination and then divided between four haploid cells. An estimation of the number of cells in the human body.

Original animal cell and E. How does aneuploidy differ from polyploidy? What is aneuploidy? How does trisomy 18 affect a person?

What is the difference between mitosis and meiosis? What is the result of meiosis? What happens during meiosis? See all questions in Meiosis.