Name the process by which a cell divides to form two identical daughter cells.

The process by which a cell divides to form two identical daughter cells is known as mitosis. During mitosis, a single cell undergoes a series of carefully regulated steps to ensure that the genetic material is replicated accurately and then divided equally between the two new cells.

Mitosis is essential for growth, tissue repair, and asexual reproduction in organisms. The process typically includes phases such as prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase, followed by cytokinesis, where the cytoplasm splits to form two separate cells. What makes mitosis unique is that it results in daughter cells that are genetically identical to the original cell, maintaining the same number of chromosomes, which is crucial for the proper functioning of an organism.

Other processes listed, such as meiosis, involve a different type of cell division that leads to the formation of gametes (sperm and egg cells) and results in cells that have half the number of chromosomes compared to the original cell. Cytokinesis, while part of the mitotic process, refers specifically to the division of the cytoplasm and not the entire cell division cycle. Fertilization is the merging of male and female gametes and is unrelated to the process of cell division described in this