How does mitosis produce genetically identical cells?

Mitosis produces genetically identical cells through a highly regulated process of DNA replication followed by the precise distribution of chromosomes into two daughter cells.12

Before mitosis begins, the cell replicates its genetic material, ensuring each chromosome consists of two identical chromatids joined at a centromere. During the stages of mitosis, these events ensure genetic fidelity:23

• Metaphase: The replicated chromosomes line up along the midline of the cell.2
• Anaphase: The sister chromatids separate, and the spindle fibers pull one copy of each chromosome to opposite ends of the cell.23
• Telophase and Cytokinesis: The nuclear membranes re-form around the two sets of chromosomes, and the cytoplasm divides, resulting in two daughter cells that each contain the same number and kind of chromosomes as the original mother cell.24

This process is fundamental to cloning in nature, as it allows eukaryotic organisms to generate identical copies of cells for growth and tissue repair without genetic alteration.5