ABSTRACT
Cell division is a continuous process that occurs in all living organisms. It has been divided into two categories: mitosis and meiosis. The term mitosis is derived from the Greek word mitos for thread; coined by Flemming in 1879. The synonym of mitosis is karyokinesis, that is, the actual division of a nucleus into two identical parental daughter nuclei. It is also known as equational division because the exact longitudinal division of each chromosome into identical chromatids and their precise distribution into daughter nuclei leads to the formation of two cells—identical to the original cell from which they were derived. The process of mitotic cell division has been divided into six stages: interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase, and cytokinesis. The chromosomes are more or less spirally coiled and seem to be longitudinally double. The two longitudinal halves of a chromosome are known as chromatids. As the prophase stage advances to mid and late prophase, chromosomes become thicker, straighter, and smoother.
