Question

Briefly summarize the processes of mitosis and meiosis indicating where the similarities lie and in which aspects they differ. Don't forget to mention the primary reason for each type of cell division by indicating the roles that mitosis and meiosis play in human reproduction and development.

Answer 1

Mitosis is a process of nuclear division in eukaryotic cells that occurs when a parent cell divides to produce two identical daughter cells.

Meiosis is a process where a single cell divides twice to produce four cells containing half the original amount of genetic information.

Similarities: Both Mitosis and Meiosisare types of cell division in which one cell gives rise to more than one cell. Both follow duplication of chromosomes. Both include breakdown of the nuclear membrane. The daughter cells have half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell.

Mitosis gives identical cells to each other and to the mother cell, while meiosis leads to genetic variation due to crossing over and independent assortment. Mitosis gives nuclei with the same number of chromosomes as the mother cell while meiosis gives cells with half the number.