Mitotic
/maɪˈtɒtɪk/noun
Relating to mitosis, the process by which a cell divides to produce two genetically similar daughter cells.
Did you know?The term comes from Ancient Greek mitos, meaning “thread,” because early microscopists saw chromosomes as thread-like structures during cell division.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
μίτος (mitos)
“Thread or woven strand”
19th Century
German
Mitose
“Cell division described using the image of thread-like chromosomes”
1882
German
Mitose
“Term introduced by Walther Flemming for nuclear division involving visible chromatin threads”
Late 19th Century
New Latin
mitosis
“The process of nuclear division producing two daughter nuclei”
Modern English
English
mitotic
“Relating to mitosis or cell division”