What is the significance of cell division in human beings
A. 1) The process of cell division is same in unicellular organisms to highly evolved multicellular organisms like human beings.
2) Cell division is the process that transforms a human fertilized egg into a baby in nine months and into an adult in the next 20 years.
3) Cell division and function in a multicellular organism is highly regulated. It occurs only when there is a need for it.
4) Cells in some organs, such as heart and brain of an individual never divide.
5) On the other hand bone marrow cells actively divide to produce red blood cells, which have a short life span (120 days) in the body.
6) For example, if you cut your finger and bleed, soon a blood clot forms to stop the bleeding.
7) This brings in various chemicals to the site that stimulate skin cells to divide and heal the wound.
8) Cell division ceases, or stops as the wound is completely healed.
9) In contrast, cancer cells do not respond to such growth regulating factors and continuously divide at the expense of normal cells. Thus ultimately killing the host.
10) So it becomes important to understand the processes involved in cell division.