What is the process that divides the nucleus of a somatic cell, resulting in two identical daughter nuclei?

The process that divides the nucleus of a somatic cell, resulting in two identical daughter nuclei, is mitosis. Mitosis is a key part of the cell cycle and occurs in somatic cells for growth, repair, and maintenance. During this process, a single nucleus undergoes a series of stages—prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase—leading to the separation of the replicated chromosomes and the formation of two identical nuclei.

Each daughter nucleus receives the same genetic material as the original nucleus, ensuring that the cells are genetically identical. This process is essential for organisms to develop from a single cell into a multicellular entity, as well as to replace damaged or old cells throughout their lives.

Other options describe different processes: meiosis is involved in gamete formation and results in genetic diversity, cytokinesis refers to the division of the cytoplasm that typically follows nuclear division, and binary fission is a process used by prokaryotic organisms like bacteria to divide. Each of these plays a different role in cellular reproduction or division but does not specifically pertain to the division of a somatic cell nucleus into identical daughter nuclei.