Pathology dictionary

Atypical mitosis

What is an atypical mitosis?

Cells in the body divide in order to create new cells. This process is called mitosis. In order to produce two new healthy daughter cells, the parent cell must create a second copy of its genetic material, also known as DNA. When the parent cell divides, each daughter cell gets one complete copy. Atypical mitosis is a term pathologists use to describe a dividing cell that has created an abnormal amount of genetic material and is unequally dividing the genetic material between the daughter cells. Atypical mitoses are commonly seen in cancers; they are rarely seen in other conditions, such as tissue that has been exposed to radiation. Another name for atypical mitosis is atypical mitotic figure.

atypical mitosis

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