The Cell Cycle Chapter 12 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 ? 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. In unicellular organisms, division of one cell reproduces the entire organism Multicellular organisms depend on cell division for Development from a fertilized cell Growth Repair Cell division is an integral part of the cell cycle, the life of a cell from formation to its own division ? 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Figure 12.2 (a) Reproduction of an amoeba (b) Growth and development of a sand dollar embryo (c) Tissue renewal in dividing bone marrow cells 20 ?m 100 ?m 200 ?m