Which cellular process involves the replication of DNA and the division of the nucleus?

The process that involves the replication of DNA and the division of the nucleus is mitosis. During mitosis, the cell prepares for division by first duplicating its genetic material so that each daughter cell inherits a complete set of chromosomes. This process includes several stages — prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase — each orchestrating different steps to ensure that the chromosomes are properly segregated into the two new nuclei that will form after the cell divides.

Mitosis is crucial for growth, tissue repair, and asexual reproduction in multicellular organisms, allowing for the maintenance of genetic continuity. It results in two genetically identical daughter cells, each with the same number of chromosomes as the original cell.

Other options describe distinct processes: cytokinesis is the final step where the cell's cytoplasm divides, forming two separate cells, but it does not involve DNA replication or nuclear division directly. Meiosis is a specialized type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half to produce gametes, and it involves two rounds of nuclear division, but it is not the process specified in the question. Binary fission, on the other hand, is a type of asexual reproduction observed in prokaryotes, such as bacteria, where the