Cell Division, How long does it take?
How Long does it take?
How Long does it take for the cell to perform a complete cycle of division? Well, it varies depending very much on the cell type. Some cells, such as nerve and muscles never divide again once they are formed. Some bacteria divide every half hour. However, the cells of the human body may divide at different rates at different times. For example, if part of your skin was removed by accident or surgery, the remaining cells begin to divide rapidly to replace lost tissue. But at normal times the division rate is much slower. A human connective -tissue cell takes 20 hours to undergo mitosis.
Cells, like humans, go through a series of transitions from birth until death. Cells divide, developed new material from the raw stuff in their environment and divide again. In this way they obtain a freshness and vitality.
They constantly renew their substance. So as soon as a cell reaches a certain level of maturity it divides again thus avoiding its own demise. A cell that retains the ability to divide is always young. In contrast, cells that do not have the ability or limited ability to divide eventually die.