Compare mitosis with meiosis

This follows the introduction to cell division and the pages about mitosis (see summary in the diagram on the right) and meiosis.

Mitosis and meiosis are two types of cell division, both of which occur in humans.

• Cell division by mitosis occurs when somatic cells* divide.
• Cell division by meiosis only happens during the final stages of cell division during sexual reproduction
  (in humans and other species that reproduce by sexual rather than asexual reproduction).

The similarity between mitosis and meiosis is that they are both types of cell division so the result of both of these processes is the production of at least one, often two, new cells.

Differences between mitosis and meiosis

Mitosis Meiosis Happens during cell division of somatic cells. Happens in the latter stages of cell division that produces gametes. Gametes are cells that fuse together during sexual reproduction, the two types being ova from females and sperm from males. A complete set of chromosomes is passed to each and every daughter cell. A complete set of chromosomes is called the diploid number of chromosomes. This is often represented by the symbol 2N, or 2n. Only half of the chromosomes are passed to the daughter cells. Half the number of chromosomes (per somatic cell of the organism) is called the haploid number of chromosomes. It is represented by N, or 2n. The chromosomes and genes in each daughter cell are identical. The homologous chromosomes and their genes in the newly formed cells are not identical. They vary due to the resulting ('child') cells receiving some characteristics from the male parent and some from the female parent. New organisms produced by mitosis via a process of asexual reproduction (e.g. some types of plants) all resemble each other and are called 'clones'. New organisms produced by meiosis via sexual reproduction are not exactly the same. Although some characteristics and traits can be observed to 'run in families', individual offspring also have differences from each other and differences from their parents, not just differences in gender but they could have different height, hair colour, eye colour, etc..

Note: The numbers (1.) to (4.) indicated above are primarily to indicate how many differences between meiosis and mitosis are listed. Although these numbers do not imply sequence in any process of cell division, points 3. and 4. flow from the previous point so this is considered a logical sequence in which to remember these important differences between meiosis and mitosis.

These simple notes about mitosis vs meiosis are suitable for some introductory courses such as pre- GCSE Biology (UK).