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cell division
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A diagram showing the stages of mitosis in somatic cell division: prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase, and cytokinesis, with labeled structures such as chromosomes, spindle fibers, and nuclear envelope in each phase.
Watch: How cell division works
See time-lapse microphotography of blastomeres created by mitotic cleavage of embryonic cells
Know how telomeres protect the ends of the chromosomes and over a while, it causes cellular aging
Quick Facts
Key People:
Hugo von Mohl
Edwin Grant Conklin
Related Topics:
meiosis
mitosis
chromatid
prophase
anaphase
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cell division

biology
Also known as: cell reproduction
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
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cell division, the process by which cells reproduce. See meiosis; mitosis.