Jakautua

Jakautua is a Finnish verb meaning to divide or split. In biology it describes the process by which a cell or its genetic material is split to produce new cellular units. The term is used for both somatic cell division and, in a broader sense, reproduction by distributing genetic material into daughter cells.

In the cellular context there are two main pathways: mitosis, in which a somatic (body) cell divides to form two genetically identical daughter cells, and meiosis, which reduces chromosome number to produce haploid gametes for sexual reproduction. In prokaryotes such as bacteria, reproduction often occurs by binary fission, a simpler form of jakautuminen, where the cell divides into two. The completion of division requires cytokinesis to split the cytoplasm.

Cell division is controlled by the cell cycle with checkpoints to ensure DNA is replicated and chromosomes are properly distributed. Mistakes can lead to mutations and diseases; abnormal regulation of jakautuminen is a hallmark of cancer. The process is fundamental for growth, development, tissue maintenance, and regeneration in multicellular organisms, and it drives population growth in unicellular species.

Beyond biology, jakautua can also be used in metaphorical senses to mean to split into parts or branches or to diverge into different groups, depending on context and usage.