<h2 class="documentFirstHeading">The Role of Mitosis</h2>
<p class="para">The process of mitosis is essential for growth and repair processes of eukaryotic organisms: mitosis is how we are able to replace our fingernails and hair as well as how our <a data-lesson="skin" data-subject="biology" data-tutorial="human-biology" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/biology/human-biology/skin">skin</a> is replaced. The table below summarises the role of mitosis in various processes in eukaryotic organisms.</p>
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<td><b class="emphasis">Living Process</b></td>
<td><b class="emphasis">Role of Mitosis</b></td>
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<td>Development and growth</td>
<td>The number of cells increases by mitosis enabling organisms to grow from a single cell to a complex <a data-lesson="cell-organization" data-subject="biology" data-tutorial="cell-biology" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/biology/cell-biology/cell-organization">multicellular</a> organism.</td>
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<td>Cell replacement</td>
<td>Cells are constantly lost and replaced by new ones in the body, for example in the skin and in the gut. In addition, <a data-lesson="red-blood-cells" data-subject="biology" data-tutorial="circulatory-system" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/biology/circulatory-system/red-blood-cells">red blood cells</a> live for only four months, and are replaced by mitosis.</td>
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<td>Replacement of damaged <a data-lesson="summarizing-asexual-reproduction" data-subject="biology" data-tutorial="plant-reproduction" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/biology/plant-reproduction/summarizing-asexual-reproduction">plant</a> or animal <a data-lesson="summarizing-the-plant-body" data-subject="biology" data-tutorial="plant-form-and-physiology" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/biology/plant-form-and-physiology/summarizing-the-plant-body">tissue</a> (regeneration)</td>
<td>Some organisms use mitosis to replace body parts. For example starfish replace lost arms by mitosis.</td>
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<td>Asexual reproduction</td>
<td>Some organisms such as the hydra use mitosis to produce genetically identical offspring. The process is known as budding. Mitosis is also the method by which yeast cells multiply.</td>
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<p class="para">The figure below shows <a data-lesson="asexual-reproduction" data-subject="biology" data-tutorial="reproductive-system" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/biology/reproductive-system/asexual-reproduction">asexual reproduction</a> in a ciliate organism. Asexual reproduction uses mitosis.</p>
<p><a href="https://data.ulearngo.com/assets/af03be1f-edf8-4617-b0e0-199ce583f91c"><img alt="ciliate-organism" class="size-full wp-image-100307 alignnone" height="286" src="https://data.ulearngo.com/assets/af03be1f-edf8-4617-b0e0-199ce583f91c" width="382"/></a></p>
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<h3 class="note-header"><span class="cnx_label">Fact:</span></h3>
<p class="para">Hair has the highest rate of mitosis. An average hair grows 0.3 mm every day and 1 cm every month.</p>
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Role of Mitosis

Biology studies life and living organisms. Biology can be divided into different sections that cover the morphology, physiology, anatomy, behavior, and so on of living organisms.

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Role of Mitosis

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