Mitosis is neither DNA nor RNA; it is a process. 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, typical of ordinary tissue growth.
Essentially, mitosis is the process by which a cell duplicates its chromosomes and then segregates them, producing two identical nuclei in preparation for cell division. While DNA is the genetic material that is being replicated and segregated during mitosis, and RNA plays a role in the process, mitosis itself is the process of cell division.
Here's a breakdown:
- DNA: DNA is the blueprint, the genetic material, which gets replicated during mitosis.
- RNA: RNA molecules are involved in various aspects of mitosis, such as gene expression and regulation. The provided reference even mentions that RNAs are associated with DNA during mitosis.
- Mitosis: Mitosis is the process of cell division, which involves the replication and segregation of DNA with the help of various proteins and RNA molecules.
Therefore, to reiterate: Mitosis is a cellular process, not a molecule like DNA or RNA.