Cell division is the process in which a parent cell divides, giving rise to two or more daughter cells. It is an essential biological process in many organisms. It is the means used by multicellular organisms in order to grow, replenish (repair), and reproduce.
There are two distinct types of cell division: a vegetative division, whereby each daughter cell is genetically identical to the parent cell (mitosis), and a reproductive cell division, whereby the number of chromosomes in the daughtercells is reduced by half to produce haploid gametes (meiosis).