What is the significance of cell division?

Cell division has multiple vital functions in all living organisms, and is necessary for cell growth, repair, and reproduction. One function of cell division is that it renews damaged cells. Another function is that it produces new cells from older ones. For example, if someone's lungs are damaged, the body works to replace the damaged cells with healthy cells. Cell division also provides more cells for growth and development; it maintains the total number of chromosomes for daughter cells. In plants, mitosis assists in the formation of new parts and repairing damaged parts of the plant. Cell division assists in the overall survival and growth of living organisms; the human body typically undergoes 10 quadrillion cell divisions in a lifetime. Additionally, cell division is important for increasing genetic diversity and ensures gene inheritance by passing genes to the next generation. Lastly, cell division is responsible for the shape, size, and growth of an organism.