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/əˈmɪtɑːtɪk/
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/əˈmɪtɑːtɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌæmɪˈtɑːtɪk/
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/ˌæmɪˈtɑːtɪk/
Amitotic describes a type of cell division that happens without the usual mitotic stages — no spindle formation, no chromosome condensation, and no visible separation of genetic material. It's rare in higher organisms but occurs in some protozoa, fungi, and aging or pathological human cells (e.g., certain liver or cartilage cells). Think of it as 'cell splitting on autopilot' — simple, direct, and genetically messy.
Some ciliates reproduce through amitotic division, where the nucleus simply constricts without forming chromosomes.
Unlike typical somatic cells, skeletal muscle fibers are post-mitotic and do not undergo amitotic or mitotic division.
Pathologists noted amitotic nuclei in the tumor sample, suggesting abnormal and unregulated cellular behavior.
Amoeba proteus was once thought to divide amitotically, but modern studies show it actually uses a modified mitotic mechanism.
In aging cartilage, chondrocytes may become quiescent or resort to amitotic division, leading to reduced tissue repair capacity.
a-
Comes from Greek 'a-' (alpha privative), meaning 'not' or 'without'. It is a negative prefix used to indicate absence or lack. Examples include atypical, amoral, asymmetrical, anemia, apolitical.
mitos
Comes from Greek 'mitos' (μῖτος), meaning 'thread'. In biology, it refers to the thread-like chromosomes visible during cell division. The root underlies terms related to mitosis — the process where chromosomal 'threads' are duplicated and separated. Examples include mitosis, mitochondrion (originally 'thread granule'), mitotic, amitotic.