What does mitosis refer to in biological processes?

Mitosis refers to the process of cell division in eukaryotic cells, where a single cell divides to produce two genetically identical daughter cells. This process is vital for growth, development, and tissue repair in organisms. Mitosis involves several key stages: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase, which result in the separation of the chromosomes into two new nuclei.

Cell division is essential for maintaining the proper number of cells in an organism and allows for the repair of damaged tissues and regeneration. It is distinct from other cellular processes, such as protein synthesis, which is the creation of proteins from amino acids guided by mRNA, or DNA replication, the process by which a cell duplicates its DNA before division. Additionally, cell differentiation refers to the process by which a cell becomes specialized for a specific function, rather than simply dividing. Thus, recognizing mitosis as cell division is foundational in understanding cellular biology.