What is the purpose of cellular division and how does it differ between somatic cells and reproductive cells?

Cellular division, also known as cell division, is the process by which a single cell divides into two or more daughter cells. The purpose of cellular division is to allow an organism to grow, repair damaged tissue, and replace old or dying cells. Cellular division also plays a crucial role in the development of multicellular organisms.

There are two main types of cellular division: mitosis and meiosis. Mitosis is the process by which somatic cells divide to produce two identical daughter cells. Somatic cells are all of the cells in the body that are not reproductive cells, such as skin cells, liver cells, and nerve cells. Mitosis is important for growth, repair, and replacement of damaged or dying somatic cells.

Meiosis, on the other hand, is the process by which reproductive cells, such as sperm and eggs, are produced. Meiosis involves two rounds of cell division and results in four daughter cells, each with half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell. This reduction in chromosome number is essential for sexual reproduction, as it allows for the fusion of two haploid cells to form a diploid zygote.