Question

How can injury to tissue prompt cells in the surrounding area to undergo cell division?

Answer 1

Cell division is the process essential for growth and repair in multi-cellular organisms.

Injury to the tissue can activate surrounding cells to undergo cell division with the help of mitogens. Mitogens are the chemical substances which help in escalating mitotic divisions in the cells.

They act by activating the signal-transduction pathway which involve mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK).

Other possible manner could be the loss of density which could lead to the inactivation of contact inhibition. As there is a loss of cells during the injury, it makes an empty space which could also trigger or activate surrounding cell to start cell division.

In addition, at injury site the flow of blood also increases to transport various nutrients, clotting factors, growth factors etc. These increased nutrition and growth factors also speed up the process of mitosis.