Cell Growth

When used in the context of cellular study, growth can also be used to refer to two different functions: cell development and cell division. However, growth in cell division refers to the growth in the population of the cells, where a “mother cell” grows and divides itself to produce two “daughter cells.” In the context of cell development, cell growth refers to the increase in the volume of cytoplasm, organelles, and genetic material before replication occurs. Cell growth in the context of cell populations is of the exponential kind, which is called “doubling.” In this phenomenon, each cell generation should grow twice its size—there should be twice the number of the previous generation of cells. However, one must consider that the counting the number of generations and multiplying each number by two will yield a maximum figure but not an exact one—not all cells survive in every generation. The cell cycle, which is the term used for the process of cell division, is generally asexual. Growth for the constituents of the cell is a steady and continuous process, which is only interrupted briefly when the cell divides into two. There are four phases in every cell cycle. There are three types of cell division: binary fission, mitosis, and meiosis. The growth of the cell itself is different yet related process to cell division. There are some cells that do not begin the division process until the individual cell has reached a specific size. Typically, when the nutrient supply is restricted, the growth of the cell’s size is relatively slower. The time period between the divisions of the cells is also increased. Cell size growth can be viewed through the use of a microscope, but the increase in cell population is usually easier to observe and more significative. This category contains scientific information about cell growth, which can refer to cell development and cell division.