What is Mitosis?

What is Mitosis?

Mitosis is one type of cell division that takes place in body cells.

A body cell is any cell except those that produce gametes (sex cells).  

The cell that is dividing is called the parent cell, and two new cells are formed because of it; called daughter cells. The daughter cells are identical to the parent cell, so if the parent cell is diploid then the daughter cells will be diploid too. 

There are several stages of mitosis, which repeat and repeat.

1. The first stage of Mitosis is called Interphase; at the end of interphase, chromosomes start to become much more visible. The DNA has already been copied. 
2. The second stage of Mitosis is called Prophase; the nucleolus disappears.
3. The third stage of Mitosis is called Metaphase; which is when the nuclear membrane begins to break down. Chromosomes line up along the middle of the cell.
4. The fourth stage of Mitosis is called Anaphase; the chromatids here separate and one chromatid from each pair is pulled to each pole of the cell. The chromatids can now be called chromosomes. 
5. The fifth stage of Mitosis is called Telophase; The spindle fibres disappear and a new nuclear membrane forms around each group of chromosomes/
6. The cell splits into two, which is called Cytokinesis.

Please note that Mitosis is much more advanced than this; this is a basic description of what Mitosis does.