Mitosis and meiosis are both essential processes of cell division, but they serve different purposes and have distinct outcomes. Mitosis is used for growth, repair, and asexual reproduction, while meiosis is specialized for sexual reproduction, creating genetically diverse gametes (sperm and egg cells).
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 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.
| Feature | Mitosis | Meiosis |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Growth, repair, asexual reproduction | Sexual reproduction |
| Number of Divisions | One | Two (Meiosis I and Meiosis II) |
| Daughter Cells | Two | Four |
| Chromosome Number | Same as parent cell (diploid, 2n) | Half of parent cell (haploid, n) |
| Genetic Variation | No (unless mutation occurs) | Yes (crossing over and independent assortment) |
| Homologous Chromosomes | Do not pair | Pair up to form tetrads during prophase I |
| Crossing Over | Does not occur | Occurs during prophase I |
| Anaphase | Sister chromatids separate | Anaphase I: Homologous chromosomes separate; Anaphase II: Sister chromatids separate |
| Cell Type | Somatic (body) cells | Germ (sex) cells |
| End Result | Two identical daughter cells | Four genetically different daughter cells |
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