THE CELL CYCLE-Chapter 12 ? Ability to reproduce = one characteristic of living things ? Continuity of life based on the reproduction of cells ? Cell division functions in reproduction, growth, and repair? UNICELLULAR ORGANISMS use cell division for reproduction? MULTICELLULAR ORGANISMS use cell division to:? -repair/renew cells that die from normal wear and tear? -grow and develop from a single fertilized egg (zygote)? -reproduce asexually (EX: plants grow by cuttings) ? Results in genetically identical daughter cells ? DNA molecules packaged into chromosomes ? GENOME= cell?s genetic information Prokaryotes genome - single circular loop of DNA Eukaryotes - several DNA molecules in multiple chromosome bundles