Plant Mitosis Vs. Animal Mitosis

Microscopic cells are a vital component of all living organisms and each living body, whether plant or animal, is made up of several such cells which contribute towards carrying out basic life functions. In order to sustain life these cells need to reproduce from time to time, so as to keep their numbers constant. Over time, cells suffer from wear and tear and old age, and eventually stop functioning, so it is extremely essential for these cells to be present in large numbers and in a healthy state in order to sustain life.Cell division is something that has fascinated scientists for many years now, and the ability of these cells to create perfectly identical copies of themselves is truly something to be marveled at. Irrespective of all the wonders of technology around us, the fact remains that something as simple as cell division is a truly magical process. This cell division is what is known as Mitosis, and this is what keeps living organisms alive. Needless to say, the process of mitosis in plants and animals is very different, and this is why one needs to understand the complete difference between plant mitosis vs. animal mitosis.

What is Mitosis
The cells inside plants and animals are known as Eukaryotes, and these are cells that are embedded and housed inside membranes. The most important membrane of this cell is the nucleus, and this is what distinguishes eukaryotes from prokaryotes, and the nucleus is also the component that enables cell division and mitosis. Mitosis is nothing but the division of one single cell into two genetically identical cells, and this is carried out for the sole purpose of continuing life. Mitosis is immediately followed by a process known as Cytokinesis, and both these processes together define the Mitotic Phase of the cell cycle in a living body. The various stages of mitosis are as follows.

    * Interphase: Though this phase is not really a part of mitosis, it generally precedes the whole process of cell reproduction. It does so by preparing the cell for division and also provides it with all the necessary nutrients and proteins.
    * Preprophase: This phase occurs only in plant cells, and it involves the creation of a bisecting line along the center of the cell, and this line shows where the cell will divide. This bisecting line is known as Phragmosome and it is made of cytoplasm.
    * Prophase: In this phase the chromatin (which is the combination of the proteins and DNA of the nucleus) gets divided into two chromosomes which are still attached to each other, and each of these chromosomes start moving to opposite sides of the cell.
    * Prometaphase: This phase precedes metaphase, and in this case the nucleus fragments start breaking and moving towards the chromosomes. The microtubules of the cell also slowly start attaching themselves to the chromosomes and this is a sign that the cell division has truly begun.
    * Metaphase: The microtubules now get attached to the kinetochores on the chromosomes, and they start moving to opposite sides with renewed speed. The alignment between the chromosomes is equal, and the DNA distribution is exactly identical as well.
    * Anaphase: In this phase the chromosomes get cleaved right through the center and they move completely to different sides of the cell. Many stages of elongation and bisection are carried out here for the chromosomes to be divided.
    * Telophase: The last step of mitosis involves the actual splitting up of the chromosomes into two distinct parts, and the cleaning up and the strengthening of the membrane also occurs here. Upon the completion of this stage, the process of mitosis is completed, and the process of cytokinesis then begins.