What are the two main stages of cellular division?

The two main stages of cellular division are mitosis and cytokinesis. Mitosis is the process where a single cell's nucleus divides into two nuclei, each with an identical set of chromosomes. This ensures that when a cell divides, the two resulting daughter cells receive the correct number of chromosomes and genetic information.

Cytokinesis follows mitosis and is the process that divides the cytoplasm of the parental cell into two daughter cells, completing cell division. While mitosis is focused on the division of the nucleus, cytokinesis ensures that the rest of the cell contents are split appropriately, leading to the formation of two separate, functioning cells.

Understanding this distinction is essential, as the main phases of cell division involve both the separation of genetic material and the physical separation of the cells themselves, which are critical for growth, development, and repair in organisms.