Library · Cellular process
Mitosis
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Mitosis is the way a cell splits its nucleus in two. The nucleus is the compartment where the cell keeps its chromosomes. In a body made of many cells, like ours, this division is used mainly for growth and for replacing or repairing injured cells.
By the time it happens, each chromosome has already been copied: it consists of two sister chromatids, identical and joined to each other. Picture two photocopies of the same page, stapled together. Very thin filaments called microtubules attach to a spot on each chromosome called the kinetochore. Then, in anaphase, the two copies come apart and each one moves toward an opposite end of the cell.
Sometimes the chromosomes fail to separate. When that happens, aneuploidy can occur, meaning a cell ends up with an abnormal number of chromosomes. It is one of the errors of mitosis that can contribute to disease.
In brief
Mitosis is the division of one nucleus into two; in multicellular organisms, it is used mainly for growth and for replacing or repairing injured cells.
Each replicated chromosome consists of two identical, joined sister chromatids that, once microtubules attach to their kinetochores, separate toward opposite ends during anaphase.
Two stapled photocopies come apart, and each goes to one side.
One error that can contribute to disease is aneuploidy, an abnormal number of chromosomes, which can result from chromosomes failing to separate.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingGenetics, Mitosis, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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