MadSci Network: Cell Biology
Query:

Re: What human body cells cannot do mitosis?

Date: Mon Feb 26 08:25:05 2001
Posted By: Christine Broussard, Post-doc/Fellow, Genetic Disease Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Inst.
Area of science: Cell Biology
ID: 976773022.Cb
Message:

Mitosis is the mechanism eukaryotes use to divide the genome equally during 
cell division.  It is a series of steps involving the replication, 
alignment, and separation of the DNA in a cell during the cell cycle.  
During development, all cells have the potential to undergo mitosis.  
However, following differentiation, some cells lose this capacity.  The best 
examples are neurons, muscle cells, and cells in the lens of the eye.  
Interestingly, though many other cells of the body have the capacity to undergo 
mitosis, they do not do so regularly.  A few of the most highly proliferative 
cells are the intestinal epithelium, the hair follicles, and immature 
hematopoietic cells (immune cells).  Most other cells undergo mitosis when 
triggered by stimuli.  For example, liver cells can be regenerated when the 
liver is damaged.




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