cell division
Cell division is how organisms grow and repair themselves. It is also how they produce offspring. Many single-celled organisms reproduce by binary fission. The parent cell simply divides to form two daughter cells that are identical to the parent. In many other organisms, two parents are involved, and the offspring are not identical to the parents. In fact, each offspring is unique. Look at the family in Figure below . The children resemble their parents, but they are not identical to them. Instead, each has a unique combination of characteristics inherited from both parents. In this lesson, you will learn how this happens.