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Why do cells divide?

Cells divide for many reasons.
Cells divide to replace old, dead, or damaged cells.
Cells also divide so living things can grow. When organisms grow, it isn't because cells are getting larger. Organisms grow because cells are dividing to produce more and more cells.
In human bodies, nearly two trillion cells divide every day.
In cell division, the cell that is dividing is called the "parent" cell. The parent cell divides into two "daughter" cells. The process then repeats in what is called the cell cycle.
Depending on the type of cell, there are two ways cells divide—mitosis and meiosis. Each of these methods of cell division has special characteristics.
1. One of the key differences in mitosis is a single cell divides into two cells that are replicas of each other and have the same number of chromosomes. This type of cell division is good for basic growth, repair, and maintenance.
2. In meiosis a cell divides into four cells that have half the number of chromosomes. Reducing the number of chromosomes by half is important for sexual reproduction and provides for genetic diversity.
Summary: Asexual reproduction relies on a process called mitosis, in which the nucleus of a cell divides to create two new nuclei, each containing an identical copy of DNA. Mitosis allows the cells in your body to divide and regenerate—your hair to grow, your skin to heal after being wounded.

Why do cells divide?

	Created by María Alejandra Lainfiesta Wahl over 3 years ago