Mitosis Definition

“Mitosis is that step in the cell cycle where the newly formed DNA is separated
and two new cells are formed with the same number and kind of chromosomes as
the parent nucleus.”

Mitosis is a process of asexual reproduction observed in unicellular organisms. Read on

to explore what is mitosis, and the different stages of mitosis.

What is Mitosis?
Cell division is the driving process of reproduction at the cellular level. Most eukaryotic
cells divide in a manner where the ploidy or the number of chromosomes remains the
same, except in the case of germ cells where the number of chromosomes is halved.

Mitosis Diagram showing the different stages of mitosis

Mitosis is the phase of the cell cycle where the nucleus of a cell is divided into two
nuclei with an equal amount of genetic material in both the daughter nuclei. It succeeds
the G2 phase and is succeeded by cytoplasmic division after the separation of the
nucleus.
Mitosis is essential for the growth of the cells and the replacement of worn-out cells.
Abnormalities during mitosis may alter the DNA, resulting in genetic disorders.

Features of Mitosis
1. In each cycle of cell division, two daughter cells are formed from the parent cell.
2. The cell is also known as equational cell division because the chromosome number in the
parent cell and daughter cell is the same.
3. In plants, mitosis leads to the growth of vegetative parts of the plant like root tip, stem tip,
etc.
4. Segregation and combination do not occur in this process.

The processes occurring during mitosis have been divided into different stages.

Stages of Mitosis
Right before prophase, the cell spends most of its life in the interphase, where
preparations are made before the beginning of mitosis (the DNA is copied). However,
since the actual process involves the division of the nucleus, the prophase is technically
the first stage of this process.

The different stages of mitosis occurring during cell division are given as follows-

Interphase
Before entering mitosis, a cell spends a period of its growth under interphase. It
undergoes the following phases when in interphase:

 G1 Phase: This is the period before the synthesis of DNA.

 S Phase: This is the phase during which DNA synthesis takes place.
 G2 Phase: This is the phase between the end of DNA synthesis and the beginning of the
prophase.

Prophase
Prophase immediately follows the S and G2 phases of the cycle and is marked by
condensation of the genetic material to form compact mitotic chromosomes composed
of two chromatids attached at the centromere.
The completion of the prophase is characterised by the initiation of the assembly of the
mitotic spindle, the microtubules and the proteinaceous components of the cytoplasm
that help in the process.

The nuclear envelope starts disintegrating.

Prophase

Prometaphase
In the prometaphase, the nuclear envelop disintegrates. Now the microtubules are
allowed to extend from the centromere to the chromosome. The microtubules attach to
the kinetochores which allow the cell to move the chromosome around.

Metaphase
At this stage, the microtubules start pulling the chromosomes with equal force and the
chromosome ends up in the middle of the cell. This region is known as the metaphase
plate. Thus, each cell gets an entire functioning genome.
 Metaphase

Anaphase
The splitting of the sister chromatids marks the onset of anaphase. These sister
chromatids become the chromosome of the daughter nuclei. The chromosomes are
then pulled towards the pole by the fibres attached to the kinetochores of each
chromosome. The centromere of each chromosome leads at the edge while the arms
trail behind it.

Anaphase

Telophase
The chromosomes that cluster at the two poles start coalescing into an undifferentiated
mass, as the nuclear envelope starts forming around it. The nucleolus, Golgi bodies and
ER complex, which had disappeared after prophase start to reappear.

Telophase

Telophase is followed by cytokinesis, which denotes the division of the cytoplasm to

form two daughter cells. Thus, it marks the completion of cell division.

Also Read: Cell Cycle

Functions of Mitosis
Following are the two important functions of mitosis:

1. Mitosis helps in the development of an organism. In single-celled organisms, mitosis is the

process of asexual reproduction.
2. Mitosis helps in the replacement of damaged tissues. The cells near the damaged cells
begin mitosis when they do not sense the neighbouring cells. The dividing cells reach each
other and cover the damaged cells.

Significance of Mitosis
1. Mitosis is responsible for the development of the zygote into an adult.
2. Equal distribution of chromosomes to each daughter cell.
3. It is responsible for the growth and development of an individual.
4. It maintains the constant number of chromosomes in all body cells of an organism.
5. Mitosis is required for asexual reproduction, vegetative propagation in plants and is also
responsible for the repair and regeneration of damaged tissues.
 6. Mitosis helps in maintaining the purity of the genome as no recombination or crossing over
takes place.
7. It is responsible for the repair and regeneration of old and damaged cells in animals e.g. gut
epithelium, blood cells, etc.

Also Read: Difference Between Mitosis And Meiosis

To know more about what is mitosis, the stages of mitosis, its definition, the mitosis
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Frequently Asked Questions

Q1

Define mitosis.
Mitosis is the type of cell division by which a single cell divides in such a way as to produce two
genetically identical “daughter cells”.
Q2

Why is mitosis called equational division?

Mitosis is the process of cell division wherein the chromosomes replicate and get equally distributed
into two daughter cells. The chromosome number in each daughter cell is equal to that in the parent
cell, i.e., diploid. Hence, mitosis is known as equational division.
Q3

List all the stages of mitosis.

The stages of Mitosis are:

 Prophase – The chromosomes shorten and thicken.

 Metaphase – Chromosomes line up in the middle of the cell.
 Anaphase – Chromatids break apart at the centromere and move to opposite poles.
 Telophase – Two nuclei formed after nuclear envelopes reform around each group of
chromosomes.

Q4

What is prophase?
The process of mitosis begins with the prophase. In this stage, the chromatin condenses and the
nucleolus disappears.
Q5

What happens in metaphase?

Metaphase is the second stage of the process, chromosomes get condensed at the equator, before
being split apart for each of the two daughter cells.
Q6

In what cells does mitosis occur?

Mitosis occurs in eukaryotic cells. Eukaryotic cells divide by both mitosis and meiosis. For eg., skin
cells divide by mitosis, whereas gametes divide by meiosis.
Q7

What is the primary function of mitosis?

Mitosis plays an important role in the life cycle of most living things. It helps in cell regeneration,
asexual reproduction and growth.
What do your intestines, the yeast in bread dough, and a developing
frog all have in common? Among other things, they all have cells that
carry out mitosis, dividing to produce more cells that are genetically
identical to themselves.

Why do these very different organisms and tissues all need mitosis?
Intestinal cells have to be replaced as they wear out; yeast cells need
to reproduce to keep their population growing; and a tadpole must
make new cells as it grows bigger and more complex.

What is mitosis?
Mitosis is a type of cell division in which one cell (the mother) divides
to produce two new cells (the daughters) that are genetically identical
to itself. In the context of the cell cycle, mitosis is the part of the
division process in which the DNA of the cell's nucleus is split into two
equal sets of chromosomes.

The great majority of the cell divisions that happen in your body
involve mitosis. During development and growth, mitosis populates an
organism’s body with cells, and throughout an organism’s life, it
replaces old, worn-out cells with new ones. For single-celled
eukaryotes like yeast, mitotic divisions are actually a form of
reproduction, adding new individuals to the population.

In all of these cases, the “goal” of mitosis is to make sure that each
daughter cell gets a perfect, full set of chromosomes. Cells with too
few or too many chromosomes usually don’t function well: they may
not survive, or they may even cause cancer. So, when cells undergo
mitosis, they don’t just divide their DNA at random and toss it into piles
for the two daughter cells. Instead, they split up their duplicated
chromosomes in a carefully organized series of steps.

Phases of mitosis
Mitosis consists of four basic phases: prophase, metaphase,
anaphase, and telophase. Some textbooks list five, breaking prophase
into an early phase (called prophase) and a late phase (called
prometaphase). These phases occur in strict sequential order, and
cytokinesis - the process of dividing the cell contents to make two new
cells - starts in anaphase or telophase.

Stages of mitosis: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase.

Cytokinesis typically overlaps with anaphase and/or telophase.

You can remember the order of the phases with the famous
mnemonic: [Please] Pee on the MAT. But don’t get too hung up on
names – what’s most important to understand is what’s happening at
each stage, and why it’s important for the division of the
chromosomes.
Late G2 phase. The cell has two centrosomes, each with two
centrioles, and the DNA has been copied. At this stage, the DNA is
surrounded by an intact nuclear membrane, and the nucleolus is
present in the nucleus.

Let’s start by looking at a cell right before it begins mitosis. This cell is
in interphase (late G22start subscript, 2, end subscript phase) and has
already copied its DNA, so the chromosomes in the nucleus each
consist of two connected copies, called sister chromatids. You can’t
see the chromosomes very clearly at this point, because they are still
in their long, stringy, decondensed form.

This animal cell has also made a copy of its centrosome, an organelle
that will play a key role in orchestrating mitosis, so there are two
centrosomes. (Plant cells generally don’t have centrosomes with
centrioles, but have a different type of microtubule organizing
center that plays a similar role.)
 Early prophase. The mitotic spindle starts to form, the chromosomes
start to condense, and the nucleolus disappears.

In early prophase, the cell starts to break down some structures and
build others up, setting the stage for division of the chromosomes.

 The chromosomes start to condense (making them easier to pull apart

later on).

 The mitotic spindle begins to form. The spindle is a structure made of

microtubules, strong fibers that are part of the cell’s “skeleton.” Its job
is to organize the chromosomes and move them around during
mitosis. The spindle grows between the centrosomes as they move
apart.

 The nucleolus (or nucleoli, plural), a part of the nucleus where

ribosomes are made, disappears. This is a sign that the nucleus is
getting ready to break down.
 Late prophase (prometaphase). The nuclear envelope breaks down
and the chromosomes are fully condensed.

In late prophase (sometimes also called prometaphase), the mitotic

spindle begins to capture and organize the chromosomes.

 The chromosomes become even more condensed, so they are very

compact.

 The nuclear envelope breaks down, releasing the chromosomes.

 The mitotic spindle grows more, and some of the microtubules start to
“capture” chromosomes.
Anatomy of the mitotic spindle. Diagram indicating kinetochore
microtubules (bound to kinetochores) and the aster. The aster is an
array of microtubules that radiates out from the centrosome towards
the cell edge. Diagram also indicates the centromere region of a
chromosome, the narrow "waist" where the two sister chromatids are
most tightly connected, and the kinetochore, a pad of proteins found at
the centromere.

Microtubules can bind to chromosomes at the kinetochore, a patch of

protein found on the centromere of each sister chromatid.
(Centromeres are the regions of DNA where the sister chromatids are
most tightly connected.)

Microtubules that bind a chromosome are called kinetochore

microtubules. Microtubules that don’t bind to kinetochores can grab on
to microtubules from the opposite pole, stabilizing the spindle. More
microtubules extend from each centrosome towards the edge of the
cell, forming a structure called the aster.
 Metaphase. Chromosomes line up at the metaphase plate, under
tension from the mitotic spindle. The two sister chromatids of each
chromosome are captured by microtubules from opposite spindle
poles.

In metaphase, the spindle has captured all the chromosomes and lined
them up at the middle of the cell, ready to divide.

 All the chromosomes align at the metaphase plate (not a physical

structure, just a term for the plane where the chromosomes line up).

 At this stage, the two kinetochores of each chromosome should be

attached to microtubules from opposite spindle poles.

Before proceeding to anaphase, the cell will check to make sure that
all the chromosomes are at the metaphase plate with their
kinetochores correctly attached to microtubules. This is called
the spindle checkpoint and helps ensure that the sister chromatids will
split evenly between the two daughter cells when they separate in the
 next step. If a chromosome is not properly aligned or attached, the cell
will halt division until the problem is fixed.

Anaphase. The sister chromatids separate from one another and are
pulled towards opposite poles of the cell. The microtubules that are not
attached to chromosomes push the two poles of the spindle apart,
while the kinetochore microtubules pull the chromosomes towards the
poles.

In anaphase, the sister chromatids separate from each other and are
pulled towards opposite ends of the cell.

 The protein “glue” that holds the sister chromatids together is broken
down, allowing them to separate. Each is now its own chromosome.
The chromosomes of each pair are pulled towards opposite ends of
the cell.
 Microtubules not attached to chromosomes elongate and push apart,
separating the poles and making the cell longer.

All of these processes are driven by motor proteins, molecular

machines that can “walk” along microtubule tracks and carry a cargo.
In mitosis, motor proteins carry chromosomes or other microtubules
as they walk.

Telophase. The spindle disappears, a nuclear membrane re-forms

around each set of chromosomes, and a nucleolus reappears in each
new nucleus. The chromosomes also start to decondense.
 In telophase, the cell is nearly done dividing, and it starts to re-
establish its normal structures as cytokinesis (division of the cell
contents) takes place.

 The mitotic spindle is broken down into its building blocks.

 Two new nuclei form, one for each set of chromosomes. Nuclear
membranes and nucleoli reappear.

 The chromosomes begin to decondense and return to their “stringy”

form.

Cytokinesis in animal and plant cells.

Cytokinesis in an animal cell: an actin ring around the middle of the

cell pinches inward, creating an indentation called the cleavage furrow.

Cytokinesis in a plant cell: the cell plate forms down the middle of the
cell, creating a new wall that partitions it in two.
Cytokinesis, the division of the cytoplasm to form two new cells,
overlaps with the final stages of mitosis. It may start in either
anaphase or telophase, depending on the cell, and finishes shortly
after telophase.

In animal cells, cytokinesis is contractile, pinching the cell in two like a

coin purse with a drawstring. The “drawstring” is a band of filaments
made of a protein called actin, and the pinch crease is known as
the cleavage furrow. Plant cells can’t be divided like this because they
have a cell wall and are too stiff. Instead, a structure called the cell
plate forms down the middle of the cell, splitting it into two daughter
cells separated by a new wall.
When division is complete, it produces two daughter cells. Each
daughter cell has a complete set of chromosomes, identical to that of
its sister (and that of the mother cell). The daughter cells enter the cell
cycle in G1.

When cytokinesis finishes, we end up with two new cells, each with a
complete set of chromosomes identical to those of the mother cell.
The daughter cells can now begin their own cellular “lives,” and –
depending on what they decide to be when they grow up – may
undergo mitosis themselves, repeating the cycle.