Final answer:
Mitosis is a mode of 2) asexual reproduction where a single cell divides to form two genetically identical daughter cells. It's pivotal in organism growth and unicellular organism reproduction, and it differs from sexual reproduction, which involves genetic material from two parents.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mitosis is a form of asexual reproduction. This process involves cellular division where a single cell divides to produce two genetically identical daughter cells. It is a common mechanism of reproduction in eukaryotic organisms that results in the growth and development of multicellular organisms as well as the reproduction of unicellular organisms. In contrast to sexual reproduction, which involves the combination of genetic material from two parents, mitosis does not require fertilization or the combination of genetic material from two different cells.
In the broader context of asexual reproduction, there are various methods by which organisms reproduce asexually. For prokaryotic microorganisms like bacteria, binary fission is the mode of reproduction, where a single organism splits into two. Other forms of asexual reproduction include budding, regeneration, and in some rare cases, parthenogenesis in animals. However, mitosis specifically refers to the type of cell division found in eukaryotic cells, which is different from binary fission in bacteria.