Generated with Monsha

Save this resource to edit, expand, or export it, or create more resources for free.

How Our Bodies Grow: The Magic of Cell Division!

Anything
Year 2
English

How Our Bodies Grow: The Magic of Cell Division!

What are Cells?

Imagine you are building a giant castle out of LEGO bricks. Your body is just like that castle! You are made of trillions of tiny, tiny building blocks called cells.
Cells are so small that you cannot see them with just your eyes. You would need a special tool called a microscope to peek at them. Each cell is like a tiny, busy factory that helps your body work, breathe, and grow!
fig 1: A friendly cell, one of the tiny building blocks of your body
fig 1: A friendly cell, one of the tiny building blocks of your body



Why do Cells Split Apart?

If you were born with only a few cells, you would stay very tiny! To help you grow taller and bigger, your cells have to make more cells.
Cells also split to fix things. Have you ever scraped your knee? Your cells start splitting and making copies to build new skin and heal your boo-boo.

1. Growing

When you grow out of your favorite shoes, it's because your cells have been busy making copies of themselves!

2. Healing

When you get a cut, your cells work hard to make "skin twins" to close the gap and make you feel better.


What is Mitosis?

Scientists use a fancy word for when a cell makes a perfect copy of itself. That word is Mitosis (pronounced my-toe-sis).
Think of it like a magic trick! One cell becomes two cells that look exactly the same—just like identical twins.
fig 2: One cell splitting into two identical twin cells
fig 2: One cell splitting into two identical twin cells


How does it happen?

It happens in four simple steps for our cells:
  1. One Cell: Everything starts with one happy parent cell.
  1. Making a Copy: The cell makes a copy of all the important instructions inside it.
  1. Splitting Apart: The cell stretches out like a piece of bubblegum and starts to pinch in the middle.
  1. Two Twin Cells: The cell pops into two! Now you have two brand new cells that are exactly the same.
fig 3: The simple steps of how a cell divides
fig 3: The simple steps of how a cell divides



Amazing Cell Facts!

  • Copycats: Every time a cell divides through mitosis, the new cells have the exact same instructions as the old one.
  • Super Speed: Some cells in your body divide very fast, while others take a long time.
  • Tons of Cells: Right now, while you are reading this, millions of your cells are busy doing mitosis!