What is the process by which cells divide to form two identical daughter cells?

Mitosis is the process by which a single cell divides to produce two identical daughter cells, each containing the same number of chromosomes and genetic material as the original cell. This orderly sequence of events is crucial for growth, development, and tissue repair in multicellular organisms. During mitosis, the cell undergoes several distinct phases: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase, which ensure that the genetic material is accurately replicated and distributed. The process culminates in cytokinesis, which is the division of the cytoplasm, but it is the mitotic phases that primarily contribute to the accurate duplication of chromosomes.

In contrast, meiosis is a type of cell division that results in four genetically diverse gametes, which is essential for sexual reproduction. Binary fission is a form of asexual reproduction primarily used by prokaryotes like bacteria, where the organism divides into two parts. Cytokinesis, while part of the overall process of cell division, specifically refers to the final step where the cytoplasm of a parental cell is divided into two daughter cells, rather than the entire process of mitosis that includes the division and separation of chromosomes.