Producing New Cells
Ever wondered how you grew from a tiny baby to your current size? Your body has been constantly creating new cells through a process called mitosis. We need these new cells for growth and to repair damaged tissue when you get cuts or bruises.
DNA is like your body's instruction manual, stored in structures called chromosomes inside each cell's nucleus. Think of chromosomes as tightly packed bundles of DNA - you've got 23 pairs of them, with one set inherited from each parent.
When chromosomes copy themselves, they form chromatids joined at a point called the centromere. This copying process is essential because each new cell needs its own complete set of instructions to function properly.
Key Point: Every cell in your body (except sex cells) contains 46 chromosomes - that's two complete sets of 23!
