If you took high school biology, you probably learned about cell division: a crucial process in all life forms officially called mitosis. For over one hundred years, students have learned that ...

Have them identify patterns in how the cytoskeleton is enabling each step. Now is a good time to revisit the images and information about the basic functions of the cytoskeleton during interphase ...

About 100 cells divide every second in our body. A key protein in cell division is a protein kinase termed Plk1, ... Human egg cells, for example, spend decades in the prophase state.

The organized arrangement of cells in tissues relies on controlled cell division and cell death. Learn how cells are replenished by stem cells and removed by apoptosis.

Cell division ensures growth or renewal and is thus vital for all organisms. However, the process differs somewhat in animals, bacteria, fungi, plants, and algae. Until now, little was known about ...

"We suspect, for example, that some types of cancer cell linger in this intermediate, pre-division state to improve their chances of survival," said study senior author Dr. Tobias Meyer, the ...

For example, in the context of cancer cells, this type of "non-round," asymmetric division could generate different cell behaviors known to promote cancer progression through metastasis.

Asymmetric cell division, ... This example illustrates the general principle whereby local modulation of the actin cytoskeleton is crucial for symmetry breaking and for polarity establishment.

But problems with the individual segments of division—things like copying DNA, repairing any damage, making sure each daughter cell gets the right number of chromosomes—can lead to mutations.

Some long-lived fungi species appear to be able to use a special type of cell division to stop cell mutations in their tracks, reducing the chances of cancers growing, scientists have discovered.

Cell division ensures growth or renewal and is thus vital for all organisms. However, the process differs somewhat in animals, bacteria, ... using Volvox carteri as an example.