what type of cell division occurs when an embryo is developing into a new individual?

The type of cell division that occurs when an embryo is developing into a new individual is mitosis.

Quick Scoop

When a sperm and egg fuse, they form a single cell called a zygote with a full set of chromosomes. That zygote then divides repeatedly by mitosis to produce many genetically identical cells, allowing the embryo to grow and gradually form tissues and organs.

In early development, these rapid mitotic divisions are often called cleavage , which is basically a special series of fast mitotic cycles that chop the large zygote into many smaller cells (blastomeres) without increasing the overall size of the embryo. Later stages of growth and body formation in the developing individual still rely on mitosis to increase cell number and build the body plan.

So, in simple terms: once fertilization has happened, the embryo develops into a new individual mainly through mitosis (early on in the form of cleavage), not meiosis.

TL;DR: The cell division during embryo development into a new individual is mitosis (cleavage in the earliest stages).

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