Mitosis results in diploid daughter cells.
Understanding Mitosis and Ploidy
Mitosis is a type of cell division that produces two identical daughter cells from a single parent cell. The crucial point regarding ploidy is that the chromosome number remains the same in the daughter cells as it was in the parent cell. This means if the parent cell is diploid (containing two sets of chromosomes), the daughter cells will also be diploid. Conversely, if the parent cell is haploid (containing one set of chromosomes), the daughter cells will also be haploid.
- Diploid: A cell with two complete sets of chromosomes, one from each parent. Most of the cells in your body are diploid.
- Haploid: A cell with only one complete set of chromosomes. In humans, only the sperm and egg cells (gametes) are haploid.
Several sources confirm this:
- "[Mitosis is cell division which results in two diploid cells which are identical to each other.]"
- "[Results in diploid daughter cells (chromosome number remains the same as parent cell),]"
- "[Most mammals are diploid, i.e., they have two homologous copies of each chromosome in the cells. They are produced by mitosis.]"
- "[Both haploid and diploid cells can undergo mitosis. When a haploid cell undergoes mitosis, it produces two genetically identical haploid...]" This last point highlights that while mitosis maintains ploidy, the resulting ploidy depends on the parent cell's ploidy.
Contrasting Mitosis with Meiosis
It's important to distinguish mitosis from meiosis. Meiosis is a type of cell division that produces four haploid daughter cells from a single diploid parent cell. Meiosis is crucial for sexual reproduction, reducing the chromosome number by half to create gametes.
- Mitosis: Produces two diploid cells from one diploid cell (or two haploid cells from one haploid cell). The chromosome number remains the same.
- Meiosis: Produces four haploid cells from one diploid cell. The chromosome number is halved.
