Mitosis is the process of normal cell division where everything inside the mother is duplicated, then split to form two daughter cells. The mother cell essentially no longer exists.

This process goes on in your body millions times a day, and is the same process whereby bacteria and other single cell organisms divide.

Mitosis is distinct from meiosis where the number of chromosomes in each daughter cells (after the split) is exactly half that of the original mother cell.

Mitosis involves four stages:

Prophase
Metaphase
Anaphase
Telophase
Cytokinesis

NOTE: Cytokinesis is considered by some to be part of Telophase, and not a seperate step. Depends on your resources.

After telophase, the cell begins Interphase, normal operation, which is not considered to be part of Mitosis.

Mitosis

Energy-driven, the strands,
Double, repeating instructions,
Complementing each other.

Then coiling, thickening, becoming visible,
Boundaries unleashed,
Each twin pair joined at the hip.

Assembling at the equator,
Fibres fasten onto,
Their conjoining link.

Then halved, contracting, shortening,
Fibres draw,
Each from his brother.

Unravelling strands,
Marking the final partition.
Division of growth.

Mi*to"sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. a thread.] Biol.

See Karyokinesis.

 

© Webster 1913.