Cell division
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cell division is the process by which a cell, called the parent cell, divides into two cells, called daughter cells. Cell division is usually a small segment of a larger cell cycle, but in meiosis, a cell that has divided is permanently transformed and cannot divide again.
Cell division is the biological basis of life. For simple unicellular organisms like amoeba, one cell division reproduces an entire organism. On a larger scale, cell division can create progeny from multicellular organisms, such as plants that grow from cuttings. But most importantly, cell division enables organisms that are able to sexually reproduce to develop from the one-celled zygote, which itself was produced by cell division from gametes. After growth, cell division allows for continual renewal and repair of the organism. And binary fission is where a cell splits in two.
