What are the characteristics of mitosis?

Mitosis is a process where one cell divides to create two identical cells. Its primary role is to facilitate growth and replace aging or damaged cells. Unlike meiosis, it does not involve genetic recombination. Mitosis specifically occurs in somatic cells and results in the preservation of the original chromosome number. Errors during mitosis, if not corrected promptly, can cause alterations in DNA that might lead to genetic disorders. The five phases of mitosis are interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase, in that order respectively.