Mitotic index

Abstract

The cell division cycle is a highly controlled process, essential for plant growth, whose purpose is to generate two identical daughter cells. Vegetative cell division, or mitosis, encompasses four sequential steps: two gap (G) phases separate the DNA replication (S phase) and chromosome segregation (M or mitosis). Determination of mitotic index (or cell division rate) in meristematic zones results very useful to know the health status and meristematic activity of the cells (Fiskesjö G. Hereditas 102:99-112, 1985). That is the main reason why this simple method has been widely used, especially when root growth inhibition is observed (Dayan FE, Romagni JG, Duke SO. J Chem Ecol 26(9):2079-2094, 2000), although as has been said, it can be also used to measure the mitotic activity of other organs. Mitotic index is used to measure cytotoxicity in living organisms (Smaka-Kincl V, Stegner P, Lovka M, Toman MJ. Mutat Res 368:171-179, 1996), based on the increase/decrease of the rate of cell division (Debnath B, Paul C, Debnath A, Saha D. J Med Plant Stud 4(3):107-110, 2016; Jain P, Singh P, Sharma HP. Int J Pharmacol Pharm Sci 3(2):46-52, 2016), and it can be simply calculated as reviewed in the present chapter.