0 9 The Cell Cycle Overview: The Key Roles of Cell Division The ability of organisms to produce more of their own kind best distinguishes living things from nonliving matter The continuity of life is based on the reproduction of cells, or cell division ? 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Figure 9.1 Reproduces the entire organism in unicellular organisms Enables multicellular eukaryotes to develop from a single cell and, once fully grown, to renew, repair, or replace cells as needed Is an integral part of the cell cycle, the life of a cell from formation to its own division ? 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Cell Division Concept 9.1: Most cell division results in genetically identical daughter cells