What is the process called that results in two identical daughter cells?

The process that results in two identical daughter cells is called mitosis. During mitosis, a single cell divides its nucleus and genetic material, ensuring that each new daughter cell receives an exact copy of the parent cell’s DNA. This is crucial for growth, development, and tissue repair in multicellular organisms.

Mitosis consists of several phases—prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase—that help orchestrate this division accurately. In prophase, the chromosomes condense and become visible, in metaphase they align at the cell's equatorial plane, in anaphase they are pulled apart to opposite ends of the cell, and in telophase the nuclear membranes reform around each set of chromosomes. Finally, cytokinesis follows mitosis, dividing the cytoplasm and completing the formation of two distinct daughter cells.

In contrast, meiosis is a process that results in four genetically diverse daughter cells with half the number of chromosomes, which is essential for sexual reproduction. The cell cycle refers to the entire cycle of a cell’s life from division to division, encompassing both mitosis and interphase. Fission is a type of asexual reproduction typically observed in prokaryotes, where a single organism splits into two,