🧬 Mitosis Explained
Mitosis is a type of cell division that results in two daughter cells each having the same number and kind of chromosomes as the parent nucleus, typical of ordinary tissue growth.
🌱 Meiosis Explained
Meiosis is a type of cell division that results in four daughter cells each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell, as in the production of gametes and plant spores.
🔬 Mitosis vs. Meiosis: A Detailed Comparison
| Feature |
Mitosis |
Meiosis |
| Purpose |
Growth, repair, asexual reproduction |
Sexual reproduction |
| Number of Divisions |
One |
Two (Meiosis I and Meiosis II) |
| Daughter Cells |
Two, genetically identical to parent cell |
Four, genetically different from parent cell |
| Chromosome Number |
Maintained (2n $\rightarrow$ 2n) |
Halved (2n $\rightarrow$ n) |
| Crossing Over |
Does not occur |
Occurs during Prophase I |
| Homologous Chromosomes |
Do not pair |
Pair up to form tetrads |
| Where it Occurs |
Somatic (body) cells |
Germ (sex) cells |
💡 Key Takeaways
- 🌱 Mitosis is for growth and repair, creating identical cells.
- 🧬 Meiosis is for sexual reproduction, creating diverse gametes.
- 🧪 Crossing over in meiosis increases genetic variation.