The main difference between mitosis and meiosis:
Number of cells formed, Ploidy level Types of cells
Variation in the daughter cell
The complexity of the process.
Further Explanation:
Cell division is the phenomenon by which parental cells divide into new cells. There are two kinds of cell division, meiosis, and mitosis.
Meiosis mostly occurs in the gamete cells. In this division, parent cells segregate into four different daughter cells. The numbers of chromosomes in new cells are different from parental cells. Daughter cells consist of half of the number of chromosomes as the parent cells, therefore, this division known as reductional division. Meiosis is divided into two stages meiosis-I and meiosis-II.
Mitosis is a kind of cell division. In this, parental cells divide into two daughter cells which have the same number of chromosomes as that of the parent cell.
Meiosis is a reductional division whereas mitosis is equational division.
Meiosis occurs in somatic cell whereas mitosis occurs in germ cells.
During mitosis cells undergo one cycle of cell division whereas in meiosis the cell undergoes two cycles of cell division.
Meiosis results in four different daughter cells whereas in mitosis two identical cells are formed.
Meiosis marks the crossing over between homologous chromosomes which leads to variation in all the daughter cells whereas in mitosis there is no crossing over between the chromosomes. Therefore, the daughter cells are completely identical in mitosis.
Learn more:
Learn more about mitosis
Learn more about the menstrual cycle
Learn more about meiosis
Answer Details:
Grade: High School
Subject: Biology
Chapter: Cell Cycle
Keywords:
Mitosis, meiosis, cell division, segregation, chromosome, crossing over, daughter cell, chromatids, reductional division, germ cell, somatic cell.
