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In Biology - Division is the same as Multiplication.

Rattata

How come cells are multiplying if, actually, they are dividing by Mitosis.

Reply 1

iceman_jondoe

18

cells divide by mitosis which is merely a process. One cell divides into two. The term multiplying is used to say that they are multiplying in numbers (i.e. greater numbers of identical cells are produced) after division of a single cell..

Reply 2

rahmed

Your definition of division is applied in the wrong sense here. Division in this case means two new entities being formed from one. So one cell divides/splits to make two.

And in fact just before the division the number of chromosomes in the cell double to what is required so that half go to one daughter cell and the other half go to the other.

Reply 3

Rattata

OP

But how does the number of chromosomes in the cell double? Is it by chromosome division or i mean chromosome multiplication? :confused:

Does this chromosome or cell division thing follow Mathematical/obvious laws? since something cannot be increased (or multiplied in this case) in size by merely dividing, hence if i divided a 20cm^3 sugar cube into 4 halfs; i am left with 3 more sugar cubes than before, altough the new sugar cubes havnt increased in size, 4 x 20cm^3, but they have, actually, divided into 20cm^3/4. Do you see where im coming from? No matter how much you divide something, i know it does multiply, however it cannt just grow in size.. all that will happen is the divided sugar cube gets smaller and smaller and smaller.

Reply 4

Revenged

15

Rattata

But how does the number of chromosomes in the cell double? Is it by chromosome division or i mean chromosome multiplication? :confused:

Does this chromosome or cell division thing follow Mathematical/obvious laws? since something cannot be increased (or multiplied in this case) in size by merely dividing, hence if i divided a 20cm^3 sugar cube into 4 halfs; i am left with 3 more sugar cubes than before, altough the new sugar cubes havnt increased in size, 4 x 20cm^3, but they have, actually, divided into 20cm^3/4. Do you see where im coming from? No matter how much you divide something, i know it does multiply, however it cannt just grow in size.. all that will happen is the divided sugar cube gets smaller and smaller and smaller.

This question is so simple...

As someone said before, DNA replication occurs before cell devision... Chromosomes replicated before cell devision...

In "mitosis", the cells are smaller after they have divided but devision is followed by a period of growth in the cell...

Read up about the cell cycle and the 3 stages of interphase...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_cycle

Reply 5

RK

TSR Community Staff

22

Rattata

But how does the number of chromosomes in the cell double? Is it by chromosome division or i mean chromosome multiplication? :confused:

Does this chromosome or cell division thing follow Mathematical/obvious laws? since something cannot be increased (or multiplied in this case) in size by merely dividing, hence if i divided a 20cm^3 sugar cube into 4 halfs; i am left with 3 more sugar cubes than before, altough the new sugar cubes havnt increased in size, 4 x 20cm^3, but they have, actually, divided into 20cm^3/4. Do you see where im coming from? No matter how much you divide something, i know it does multiply, however it cannt just grow in size.. all that will happen is the divided sugar cube gets smaller and smaller and smaller.

The differnece here bieng that the sugar cube isn't a living creature and so cannot growincrease itself in size, where as the cells are part of a living thing and so have the ability to increase their size.

Reply 6

Rattata

OP

Well thanks for answering my question. I was just clueless at how Cells grow if their only dividing each time.............. do you see where i was coming from?

Reply 7

iceman_jondoe

18

erm........no

Reply 8

Rattata

OP

iceman_jondoe

erm........no

----

divide

--
--

divide

-
-
-
-

now how does that grow? (i.e into ---- . ---- . ---- . ----)

Reply 9

RK

TSR Community Staff

22

Rattata

----

divide

--
--

divide

-
-
-
-

now how does that grow? (i.e into ---- . ---- . ---- . ----)

It's not difficult to unerstand that the thing only divides when it's grown enough to do so.

Maybe you should have it like this:

----
divide
--
--
grow
---
---
grow
----
----
divide
--
--
--
--
grow
---
---
---
---
etc

:smile:

The growing could be though actually getting bigger or could imply be through the cell starting the diviing process by it starting to duplicate all the necessary parts (not sure of the technical words for any of this, nor the exact processes involved) :smile:

Reply 10

Revenged

15

Roger Kirk

The growing could be though actually getting bigger or could imply be through the cell starting the diviing process by it starting to duplicate all the necessary parts (not sure of the technical words for any of this, nor the exact processes involved) :smile:

Yes, that's it... Growth is controlled though... Not all cells grow and divide...

You do get some cells that never divide (e.g. brain cells), which is why brain damage is irreversible...

You can also get cells that never stop dividing, e.g. in cancers...

In Biology - Division is the same as Multiplication.

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