Mitosis
Your baby’s DNA
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Mitosis is a type of cellular division which not only takes place during pregnancy, but also throughout our lives.
In mitosis the DNA of each cell (which is normally made up of 46 chromosomes in a human) replicates so that there are 92 chromosomes. Once the DNA has replicated the cell splits into two diploid cells, each with the normal 46 chromosomes. During our lives this is how our body develops new skin cells, blood cells and other old cells that need regeneration.
Once the sperm has fertilised the egg, mitosis occurs at every step of your pregnancy. Firstly, the zygote “mitoses” into an embryo, then the embryo “mitoses” into a fetus and then the fetus, rather your baby, continues to undergo mitosis as all of his organs and body parts develop. The sperm and egg are formed through a different process known as meiosis.
If mitosis does not occur properly a chromosomal abnormality is the result.
Tags: chromosomal abnormality, chromosomal development, chromosomal disorder, DNA, embryo, fertilisation, fetus, glossary, meiosis, mitosis, pregnancy, pregnant, zygote