What process is referred to as cell division?

Cell division is primarily a process through which a parent cell divides into two or more daughter cells, and mitosis specifically describes this mechanism for somatic (body) cells. During mitosis, a single cell's DNA is duplicated and evenly distributed to two new nuclei, leading to the formation of two genetically identical cells. This process is critical for growth, tissue repair, and asexual reproduction in organisms.

Mitosis includes several stages: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase, culminating in cytokinesis, which physically separates the cytoplasm of the parent cell into two new cells. The end result is that each daughter cell has the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell, ensuring that genetic material is preserved.

Meiosis and fission, while also forms of cell division, serve different purposes and have distinct processes. Meiosis is specialized for the production of gametes (sperm and egg cells) and leads to genetic variability, while fission refers to a method of asexual reproduction primarily in unicellular organisms. Replication generally refers to the process of copying DNA rather than the overall division of a cell.