Mitosis and Meiosis
Walther Flemming, a German scientist, was so fascinated with cells. He gathered information about cells using his microscope and later found out a process known as mitosis. Mitosis is a form of cellular reproduction wherein a cell splits into two new cells without involving the genetic information of two different cells. This process is very important to organisms. Through mitosis, damaged cells are healed. Mitosis is also crucial in the development of living organisms as this indicates that they are growing.
Mitosis takes place in all organisms. In the case of unicellular organisms, they need to undergo mitosis so that they can reproduce themselves. On the other hand, multicellular organisms have to go through the process of mitosis in order to repair damaged cells.
Another form of cellular reproduction, called meiosis, is a more complex cellular reproduction wherein only one half of the original chromosome number is reproduced. It is a prelude to the sexual reproduction. This means that the meiosis occurs before the sexual reproduction. Meiosis is very important to sexually reproducing organisms because it is through the process of meiosis that the number of chromosomes of the gametes or sex cells can be determined. Meiosis is also essential in the sexual reproduction process which involves the reproduction of genes, DNA components that carry the hereditary characteristics of an organism. After that, the gametes will then be formed in the process called fertilization where the 23 chromosomes of a female organism rejoin the 23 chromosomes of a male organism. Hence, if the process of meiosis does not take place, then there will be no sexual reproduction. Species that reproduce sexually, such as humans, will not reproduce.