What process involves the division of body cells to produce new cells?

Mitosis is the process that involves the division of body cells to produce new cells. It is a crucial mechanism for growth, development, and tissue repair in multicellular organisms. During mitosis, a single cell divides to form two genetically identical daughter cells, each containing the same number of chromosomes as the original cell. This process ensures that when a new cell is formed, it retains the same genetic information necessary for proper functioning.

In contrast, meiosis is a specialized type of cell division that occurs in the formation of gametes (sperm and eggs) for sexual reproduction, resulting in cells with half the chromosome number. Fertilization is the union of male and female gametes, leading to the formation of a zygote, while transcription is the process of copying a segment of DNA into RNA, which is unrelated to cell division. Understanding mitosis is vital in studying biological diversity as it underlies many aspects of cellular function and reproduction.