How does mitosis ensure genetic consistency?

Mitosis ensures genetic consistency by creating two identical daughter cells from a single parent cell.

Mitosis is a type of cell division that results in two daughter cells each having the same number and kind of chromosomes as the parent nucleus. This process is crucial for growth, repair, and general maintenance of an organism. It ensures that every new cell has the same genetic material as the cell from which it originated, maintaining genetic consistency.

The process of mitosis is divided into several stages: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. During prophase, the chromosomes in the cell's nucleus condense and become visible. The nuclear envelope breaks down and spindle fibres begin to form. In metaphase, the chromosomes align in the middle of the cell and the spindle fibres attach to the centromeres of each chromosome.

Anaphase follows, where the sister chromatids (identical copies of a chromosome) are pulled apart by the spindle fibres and move towards opposite ends of the cell. Finally, in telophase, a new nuclear envelope forms around each set of chromosomes, the chromosomes decondense, and the cell divides into two identical daughter cells during a process called cytokinesis.

Each of these daughter cells contains an exact copy of the parent cell's DNA. This is because during the S phase of the cell cycle, before mitosis begins, the DNA in the cell is replicated. This means that when the chromosomes align in the middle of the cell during metaphase, each chromosome is actually composed of two identical sister chromatids. When these are pulled apart in anaphase, each new cell ends up with one copy of each chromosome, ensuring that the genetic material in each new cell is identical to that of the original cell.

In this way, mitosis ensures that every cell in an organism carries the same genetic information, maintaining genetic consistency across all cells. This is crucial for the proper functioning of the organism, as any changes or mutations in the DNA can lead to diseases or disorders.