Question

Significance of mitosis lies in (a) Producing cells genetically similar to parent cell (b) Occurrence in energy tissue of body (c) Increasing cellular mass (d) Swift division

Short answer

The correct answer is option (a). Mitosis is significant due to its role in producing cells genetically similar to the parent cell.

Step-by-step solution

Analyzing the Options

It's seen that (b), (c), and (d) are not directly related to mitosis. To give further insight, the Process of mitosis isn’t necessarily focused on the energy tissues of the body, the overall cellular mass or the speed of division. Such elements can be impacted by a number of factors and are not intrinsic to the process of mitosis itself.

Identifying the Right Option

However, examining option (a), we see that the purpose of mitosis is indeed to produce cells that are genetically identical to the parent cell. This is due to the process of duplicating chromosomes during the 'S' phase of the cell cycle and then carefully separating this copied DNA to opposite ends of the parent cell, so that when cytoplasmic division occurs, two genetically identical cells are formed.

Key concepts

Genetically Identical Cells

Mitosis is a fundamental process in cell biology that ensures the generation of two genetically identical cells from a single parent cell. This is crucial for growth, repair, and maintenance in multicellular organisms.

During mitosis, a cell undergoes a series of well-orchestrated steps to duplicate its contents, including its genetic material. The DNA packed inside chromosomes is precisely replicated during the prior phase called the 'S' phase of the cell cycle. Following that, mitosis ensures that each daughter cell inherits a complete set of chromosomes, identical to those of the parent cell.

It is this high fidelity of chromosome segregation that guarantees the maintenance of genetic consistency across cell generations. This biological precision underpins many vital processes, such as the healing of a cut, where new cells identical to those damaged need to be produced. Genetic uniformity plays a pivotal role because it preserves the integrity of an organism, allowing for proper function and development.

Cell Cycle

The cell cycle is the life span of a cell, from one division to the next, and consists of several distinct stages: G1 (gap phase 1), S (synthesis phase), G2 (gap phase 2), and M (mitotic phase).

The 'S' phase is of particular interest as it is when the cell synthesizes an exact duplicate of its DNA. After DNA synthesis, the cell enters the G2 phase where it continues to grow and prepares for division. The culmination of the cell cycle is the M phase, which actually encompasses both mitosis and cytokinesis—the splitting of the cell's cytoplasm to form two separate cells.

An intricate system of checks and balances regulates the cell cycle to prevent errors. This includes checkpoints that can halt progression if something has gone awry, ensuring that damaged or incomplete DNA is not passed on to daughter cells. The precision of the cell cycle is a testament to the complex regulatory mechanisms that embody cellular replication.

Chromosome Duplication

Chromosome duplication is a pivotal event within the cell cycle, which takes place during the 'S' phase. This phase sees every single chromosome create an exact copy of itself in a process called DNA replication.

Once duplicated, each chromosome resembles an X-shaped figure, consisting of two identical sister chromatids connected at a region known as the centromere. Later, during mitosis, these sister chromatids are carefully segregated by the spindle apparatus, so that each new daughter cell receives one chromatid from every duplicated chromosome, thus maintaining the constant number of chromosomes in subsequent cell generations.

This precise doubling of the genomic material is paramount as it ensures that all cells in an organism carry the same genetic instructions, encoded within the DNA. Any error in chromosome duplication can lead to genetic abnormalities, indicating the role of this process in the health and viability of cells.