What does mitotically mean?
“Mitotically” is a technical adverb meaning “in the manner of mitosis,” the specialized process by which a cell divides its nucleus and ultimately produces two daughter cells. It is used when describing a division, movement, or change that occurs by mitosis rather than by meiosis, the contrasting process associated with the production of gametes. For example, a scientist might report that tumor cells divide mitotically or that chromosomes are distributed mitotically during cell division. The word belongs primarily to formal biology, medicine, and genetics; general audiences will usually understand it more readily in its adjectival relative, “mitotic.” Its usefulness lies in making explicit not merely that a cell divides, but that the division follows the mitotic mechanism. Because mitosis can produce growth, repair, and sometimes uncontrolled proliferation, the term also appears in discussions of development, disease, and cancer. It is more specialized and less common than “mitotic,” but precise in scientific and clinical prose.
adverbIn the manner of or by means of mitosis, the process by which a cell nucleus divides to form two daughter nuclei.
- In the manner of mitosis; by or during mitosis.
"The tumor cells continued to divide mitotically despite treatment."
"The chromosomes separated as the cell divided mitotically."
"Researchers used a stain to identify cells that were dividing mitotically."
A single cell can become a crowd fast: mitosis is biology's copy-and-divide routine.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of mitotically
The adverb “mitotically” was formed from the adjective “mitotic” with the suffix “-ally.” “Mitotic” derives from “mitosis,” which comes from New Latin and ultimately from Greek mitos, meaning “thread,” an apt reference to the threadlike chromosomes visible during division. Related words such as “mitogen” and “mitogenic” also trace their names to the same Greek root.
How mitotically is actually used
Chiefly used in biology, medicine, and genetics. The adverb is less common than the adjective “mitotic.” The final vowel is typically pronounced /ɒ/ in British English and /ɑː/ in American English.
Easily confused with mitotically
Meiotically refers to meiosis, the specialized type of cell division that halves chromosome number and contributes to the formation of gametes.