The idea between mitosis and binary fission is hard for many people to understand because so much is going on within the cells that is important and many people get confused which process is which, often interchanging the words when they are two different processes. Living things are always making new cells in their bodies. They need these cells in order to survive and grow, and to replace cells that are damaged or have died. Cellular division is a complicated process that is important to the entire cycle of the cell life. Mitosis and binary fission have very different characteristics but are often confused because both have sexual forms of reproducing.
What is Mitosis?
When non-sex cells divide it is called mitosis. This process is designed to increase how many cells are produced during the embryogenesis stage in both animals and plants. When reproduced, the “daughter cells” will be similar to their “mother cell” in quantitative aspects as well as qualitative. This means that they will have the same DNA strands, the same functions and the same code of genetics.
The Stages of Mitosis
Mitosis is a four stage process. Stages one, two and three are known as the “phase” where no chromosomes are divided but the nucleus and the cytoplasmic organs are very active. The final stage allows for the absorption of energy to allow for cell size increase in the nucleolus.
1. The first stage is the prophase where the chromatins are condensed into chromosomes and the nuclear membrane begins to break down.
2. In the metaphase (or the second stage) the chromosomes start to line up into the middle of the cell body.
3. In the third stage (also called the anaphase) the chromosomes begin to separate and move away from each other in the cell.
4. The telophase (stage four) happens when the cell starts to form separate membranes around each of the chromosomes. Once all of that has happened, the cells split down the middle causing the “daughter cells” the one “mother cell
What Is Binary Fission
Binary fission (also known as “prokaryotic fission”) is the simple form of sexual cell reproduction. The reason it is simpler is because it goes through less stages to finalize. There is no nuclear and centromeres connection in this form of fission. There are three types of binary fission known as simple, transverse and longitudinal. Simple fission happens when the division happens through any plane. Transverse fission happens when the cytoplasmic division plane is the same as the specimen’s transverse axis. Longitudinal fission is when the plane matches the longitudinal alignments. Cells are formed without being “daughter cells” and “mother cells” in the same way they are with mitosis.
It does sound a little complicated, but now that you know the difference, you can understand each a little better. There is a lot more information that can be gleaned about this topic and can further help your understanding. There are very readings for those who are looking for the scientific information and simple easy to understand information for people who want to know more about the different stages.