Mitosis alone does not mean growth of the organism
If you take a closer look at mitosis, you will quickly understand why this alone does not mean growth in the organism. Growth is only indirectly related to it.
What mitosis means for the development of the organism
Cells go through different phases of which mitosis is only a very small but important development phase. These phases are G1, S, G2 and mitosis.
- In the G2 phase, the cell prepares for mitosis. In tissues, it breaks contact with neighboring cells, absorbs water and becomes a round structure. In this phase, specific proteins are also formed in order to duplicate the cell nucleus. There is only water absorption. There is also no enlargement of the organism, the substance is not increased.
- Chromosomes are doubled during the mitotic phase. Only this doubling of the chromosomes is mitosis. In this phase, the cell nucleus also divides, and towards the end, cell division begins. During the entire mitotic phase, the cell's substance does not increase, so division alone does not mean growth.
- New protein building blocks are only formed in the subsequent G1 phase. The substance of the two cells increases. There is growth taking place.
Why cell division alone is not always growth
- Cells that will no longer divide go into the G0 phase. This ends the development of the cell, at least for a certain period of time. After the division, it goes into a resting phase. So there is no enlargement of the organism.
- In plants in particular, multiple cell divisions can occur without the cells subsequently enlarging. Fertilized egg cells also divide several times without gaining mass.
- In unfavorable circumstances, there may be no growth after mitosis. An egg cell that does not implant itself dies. Cell division took place without ever growing.
Where does mitosis take place? - Cell division simply explained
Mitosis takes place all the time in living organisms. It ensures that in two ...
Advantages of division without growth
These advantages come from the ability of organisms to divide cells without growth.
- The egg can start dividing immediately after fertilization without growing. On the way to the uterus, it remains small and does not have to ingest any food. Only when it has established itself, i.e. when food is available, does growth begin. Since there are already many cells, this begins quickly.
- Plants already form many cells at the end of dry periods or cold periods. As soon as it gets warmer or wetter, explosive growth begins. Rapid budding in spring is only possible because mitosis and growth do not necessarily have to be related. The fact that plants in deserts often bloom hours after a downpour can also be attributed to this fact.
You surely now understand why mitosis alone does not mean growth.
