There are two types of cell division:

• Mitosis is used for growth and repair and produces diploid cells identical to each other and the parent cell.
• Meiosis is used for sexual reproduction and produces haploid cells different to each other and the parent cell.

Growth

Humans are made of millions of cells. This has a number of benefits:

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  • Cells can be specialised to do particular tasks
  • Groups of cells can function as organs making a more efficient but complex organism
  • The organism can grow very large.                                                                                                                                                                          

Cell division

• New cells are needed throughout life. These are for growth, to replace damaged cells and repair worn out tissues. Normal human body cells are diploid – they have two of each chromosome. When new cells are made, these 46 chromosomes (in other organisms the number is different) are copied exactly in a process called mitosis.

         

Mitosis

Mitosis is the type of cell division used for growth, repair and asexual reproduction. Mitosis occurs wherever new cells are needed. It…