Definition: Prophase marks the beginning of mitosis where chromosomes become visible and attach to spindle fibers.

Highlight: During Metaphase, chromosomes align at the cell's center, preparing for separation.

Vocabulary: Cytokinesis refers to the physical division of the cell's cytoplasm.

Example: Plant and animal cells undergo cytokinesis differently - animal cells pinch in the middle, while plant cells form a cell plate.

Highlight: Mitosis is essential for three main purposes: growth, repair, and genetic consistency.

Definition: Daughter cells are the identical cells resulting from mitotic division of a parent cell.

Example: When you get a cut, mitosis enables wound healing by producing new cells to replace damaged ones.

Vocabulary: The cell cycle is a continuous process that maintains tissue integrity and enables organism development.

Definition: Interphase is the growth phase where cells double in size and replicate their genetic material.

Highlight: Cell division occurs in two distinct steps - nuclear division followed by cytoplasmic division.

Vocabulary: Somatic cells are body cells that undergo mitosis to produce diploid cells.

Example: In humans, diploid cells contain 46 chromosomes (23 pairs), maintaining the full genetic complement.