Cell division is an important process that helps our bodies grow and heal. It happens mainly through a method called mitosis and, to a lesser extent, meiosis.

Mitosis and Tissue Growth

• What is Mitosis?: Mitosis is when one cell splits into two identical cells. This happens in several steps: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase.

• How Fast Do Cells Divide?: Mitosis helps our tissues grow. Here are some examples:

  • Skin cells turn over, or renew, every 2 to 4 weeks.
  • Cells in our gut replace themselves every 2 to 3 days.
  • Liver cells can take up to a whole year to completely renew.

Mitosis in Tissue Repair

• How Does It Help Heal?: When we get hurt, mitosis speeds up.
  • In wounds, special cells called fibroblasts multiply to rebuild the connective tissue.
  • Another type of cell, called keratinocytes, moves and divides to fix the outer layer of the skin.
• How Much Does It Speed Up?: After an injury, the speed of cell division can grow by 10 to 15 times more than normal, which helps wounds heal faster.

Meiosis and Its Role

• What is Meiosis?: Meiosis is mostly used to make sperm and egg cells, but it also helps keep our tissues healthy by mixing up our genes.

• How Many Sperm Are Made?: Each time sperm cells are formed, about 1,500 sperm can be created every second. This helps with reproduction and can also affect the health of our tissues by passing down genetic information.

In short, mitosis helps our bodies grow and heal through careful cell division, while meiosis plays a supportive role in reproduction and may help keep tissues strong.