Focusing on the wonder and complexity of life:
“Biology is the study of stuff that wiggles.” – Richard Dawkins (famous evolutionary biologist)
Highlighting the importance of understanding biology:
“The earth is our home. Unless we preserve the rest of life, as a sacred duty, we will be endangering ourselves by destroying the home in which we evolved, and on which we completely depend.” – E.O. Wilson (renowned biologist and author)

The Mitosis Mystery: Untangling Cell Division in High School Biology

Remember that time you accidentally popped a bubblegum bubble and watched it stretch and split in two? It might seem like a trivial childhood memory, but that’s exactly what came to mind during my high school biology class when we delved into the fascinating world of mitosis. Did you know that every single cell in your body, from the ones in your brain to the tips of your toes, went through this intricate process of division billions of times before you even took your first breath? According to a 2023 study published in Nature, the human body is estimated to contain 37 trillion cells, each a testament to the power of mitosis [1].

This blog post will unpack the captivating world of mitosis, a cellular process that not only fuels our growth and development but also plays a crucial role in wound healing and even fighting off diseases like cancer. We’ll explore the mechanics of this division, the surprising statistics behind it, and how this knowledge from high school biology continues to shape our understanding of the human body today.