cell division

American  

noun

Biology.

1. the division of a cell in reproduction or growth.

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cell division British  

noun

1. cytology the division of a cell into two new cells during growth or reproduction See amitosis meiosis mitosis

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cell division Scientific  

1. The process by which a cell divides into two or more cells. Among prokaryotes, cell division occurs by simple fission. Among eukaryotes, the cell nucleus divides first, and then a new cell membrane is formed between the nuclei to form the new cell. Cell division is used as a means of reproduction in organisms that reproduce asexually, as by fission or spore formation, and sexually reproducing organisms form gametes through cell division. Cell division is also the source of tissue growth and repair in multicellular organisms. The two types of cell division in eukaryotic organisms are mitosis and meiosis.

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Etymology

Origin of cell division

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

An ancient system once used to separate DNA during cell division has been repurposed into a cytoskeleton-like structure that helps determine cell shape.

From Science Daily • Apr. 20, 2026

In some cases, illness or tissue repair may lead to increased cell division, which could raise the chance of losing the chromosome.

From Science Daily • Mar. 20, 2026

To investigate the mechanism further, the scientists blocked cell division inside the follicle.

From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 2026

In this way, MraZ acts as the key regulator controlling the activity of the operon that governs cell division in most bacterial species.

From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 2026

Nearly every cellular function—metabolism, respiration, cell division, self-defense, waste disposal, secretion, signaling, growth, even cellular death—requires proteins.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee