Living cells divide to form new cells in order to repair worn-out or damaged tissues throughout an organism, and (in the gametes only) to enable the exchange of genetic material at the initial stage of the process of sexual reproduction. (A gamete is a mature sex cell, specifically the ovum of the female or the spermatozoon of the male.)
The two types of cell division are generally called mitosis and meiosis but, strictly, these terms refer to the stages of division of the cell nucleus for somatic (non-reproductive) and reproductive cells, respectively.
The two types of cell division are generally called mitosis and meiosis but, strictly, these terms refer to the stages of division of the cell nucleus for somatic (non-reproductive) and reproductive cells, respectively.