ScienceAugust 26, 2026
mitosis
my-TOE-sis
Definition
A type of cell division that results in two daughter cells each having the same number and kind of chromosomes as the parent nucleus, typical of ordinary tissue growth.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek 'mitos' (thread) and the suffix '-osis' (process or condition). It was coined in 1882 to describe the thread-like appearance of chromosomes visible under a microscope during the division process.
In the news
In this article, mitosis is distinguished from meiosis to explain that sperm precursors undergo many rounds of standard cell division before specializing into reproductive cells.
Unexpected Source of Genetic Variation Identified in Human Sperm
Read the full article ↗Technology Networks