AQA Additional Science: Biology (B2): Cell Division (Mitosis and Meiosis)

Cell Division

There are two types of cell division – Mitosis and Meiosis.

Learn to differentiate the two by remembering that MIT in the word Mitosis stands for Making Identical Two, whereas ME in Meiosis stands for Making Eggs.

Cell division, needed for growth of an organism or for the repair of damaged tissues, happens by Mitosis. Mitosis is asexual cell division where two identical cells are formed. A cell reproduces itself by splitting to form two identical offspring.

  Division of cell (Mitosis):

1) When the cell gets the signal to divide, a copy of each of the 46 chromosomes (chromosomes contain genes/alleles) in 23 pairs is made, resulting in 92 chromosomes. The left chromosome is a copy of the right chromosome and so on.

2) Cell fibres pull the chromosomes apart.

3) The cell splits into two as the membranes form around each set of…