The etymology of karyokinesis refers us to two words in the Greek language: káryon (which can be translated as “nucleus”) and kínēsis (a notion that refers to “movement”). The concept is used in the context of biology to refer to the process that causes the nucleus of a cell to divide.
According to DigoPaul, karyokinesis is part of mitosis: cell division that, after duplicating genetic information, generates new cells that have all the chromosomes.
Also called anfiastral mitosis or astral mitosis, karyokinesis occurs at the beginning of mitosis. In order for the genetic material found in the stem cell to be divided equally between two daughter cells, it is necessary for their nucleus to divide.
Once karyokinesis has taken place and there are two separate nuclei, cytokinesis takes place: the cytoplasm separates and two daughter cells are formed. When mitosis is completed in this way, two cells that are genetically identical have been produced. Asexual reproduction, the growth of a living being and the repair of tissues are carried out thanks to mitosis.
In addition to all the above, we have to establish another series of relevant data on karyokinesis. In this way, for example, we can state that it can be of two types. Thus, in the first place, it can be symmetric, which is a bipartition or binary fission, and in the second place it can be asymmetric. This can also respond to the budding name.
In the same way, it is really important to know that karyokinesis or cell division is carried out through a total of five phases:
-The prophase that consists of a chromosomal condensation, in the disappearance of the so-called nuclear envelope and in the formation of the spindle mitotic.
-The prometaphase, which is the movement of chromosomes. Where? For what is known as a mitotic spindle.
-The metaphase, which is characterized by being the moment of karyokinesis in which the chromosomes are in the so-called equatorial plane. But not only that, it must be established that those are linked by the centrometers to mitotic use.
-Anaphase, which is the stage that occurs when the division of the aforementioned centrometers occurs. Specifically, what happens in this phase is that the copies of the different chromosomes what they do is go towards the opposite poles of the cell.
-Telophase, which will allow obtaining two daughter cells. It is composed of cytokinesis, a chromosomal decondensation, the reappearance of the so-called nuclear turn and, finally, the disappearance of the mitotic spindle.
It should be noted that karyokinesis also develops in meiosis, which is another type of cell division. In this case, the resulting cells have half the chromosomes.
It can be said, in short, that karyokinesis implies a distribution or a distribution of the nuclear material of a cell, which develops within the framework of cell division.