noun
- A form of cell division in which the nucleus divides without cytokinesis, resulting in a cell with multiple nuclei or increased chromosome content.
Usage: biology; technical term; also called endoreplication in some contexts
Examples
- Endomitosis occurs in certain plant cells, allowing them to increase their DNA content without dividing.
- The process of endomitosis is common in liver cells and other tissues that require increased metabolic activity.
- Scientists study endomitosis to understand how cells can become polyploid without undergoing traditional mitosis.
- Endomitosis differs from standard mitosis because the cell membrane does not pinch to form two daughter cells.