Here's why:
* Mitosis is for growth and repair: Mitosis is a cell division process that creates two daughter cells that are genetically identical to the parent cell.
* Ploidy refers to chromosome sets: Ploidy describes the number of sets of chromosomes a cell has. For example, humans are diploid (2n), meaning they have two sets of chromosomes.
* Mitosis maintains ploidy: During mitosis, the chromosomes are duplicated, and then the cell divides, ensuring each daughter cell receives a complete set of chromosomes. Therefore, the ploidy stays the same.
Example:
* A diploid (2n) cell enters mitosis.
* The chromosomes are duplicated, resulting in 4n.
* The cell divides into two cells.
* Each daughter cell receives a full set of chromosomes, resulting in 2n for each daughter cell.
In conclusion: Mitosis maintains the ploidy of the parent cell, ensuring that each daughter cell has the same number of chromosome sets as the original cell.