'mitosis' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'mitos,' where 'mitos' meant 'thread.' The suffix '-osis' indicates a process or condition.

'mitosis' was coined in the late 19th century from the Greek 'mitos' and the scientific suffix '-osis,' and became the modern English word 'mitosis.'

Initially, it referred to the thread-like appearance of chromosomes during cell division, but now it specifically means the process of cell division itself.