Hyperthymestic Syndrome: Extraordinary Memory for Daily Life Events. Darold A. Treffert, MD. There are a number of forms of extraordinary memory. There is factual memory: Kim Peek has memorized over 7600 books. There is numeric memory: Daniel Tammet memorized Pi to 22,514 digits. There is eidetic-like, photographic memory: Stephen Wiltshire memorized Rome from the air after a 45-minute helicopter ride over the city.
When a new cell is created, it must have the same library of genetic information all other cells in the body have access to. Because all the material in the new cell must come from the first cell, the original cell must make a copy of its DNA before completing the process of mitosis. These two sets of DNA only exist for as long as it takes the cell to undergo mitosis, which can be anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes in certain human cells.
DNA replicatioin occurs before mitosis. It happens during INTERPHASE. DNA has to replicate because DNA contains the genetic blueprint for the cell. It tells the cell how to function and how it is to form. Also, the daughter cells must each have their own set of equal DNA. Shortly before cell division (Mitosis).