cell division


noun Biology.

the division of a cell in reproduction or growth.

Origin of cell division

First recorded in 1880–85

Example sentences from the Web for cell division

British Dictionary definitions for cell division

cell division

noun

cytology the division of a cell into two new cells during growth or reproduction See amitosis, meiosis, mitosis

Medical definitions for cell division

cell division

n.

The process by which a cell divides to form two daughter cells, each of which contains the same genetic material as the original cell and roughly half of its cytoplasm.

Scientific definitions for cell division

cell division

The process by which a cell divides into two or more cells. Among prokaryotes, cell division occurs by simple fission. Among eukaryotes, the cell nucleus divides first, and then a new cell membrane is formed between the nuclei to form the new cell. Cell division is used as a means of reproduction in organisms that reproduce asexually, as by fission or spore formation, and sexually reproducing organisms form gametes through cell division. Cell division is also the source of tissue growth and repair in multicellular organisms. The two types of cell division in eukaryotic organisms are mitosis and meiosis.