Mitosis vs Meiosis

Meiosis and mitosis are both types of cell division. Cell division is the reproduction of cells, and requires the duplication of chromosomes. Mitosis takes place when the nucleus divides. Meiosis is a type of cell division that produces haploid gametes in diploid organisms. Mitosis and meiosis are two very different processes.

While meiosis only requires the cell to divide twice, the cell only divides once during mitosis. This causes meiosis to produce four cells and mitosis to produce two cells. Mitosis occurs in the body and meiosis occurs in the sex organ of organisms. The two processes produce different things. Meiosis produces haploid cells, gametes and genetically unique cells. Mitosis produces identical diploid cells. In humans, mitosis produces cells with forty six chromosomes and meiosis produces twenty three chromosomes. Also, mitosis is a part of asexual reproduction. Meiosis, however, is a part of sexual reproduction.

The fact that the two processes are both types of cell division is not the only similarity they share. Even though mitosis and meiosis take place in two different specific locations, they both still occur in plants and animals. They also start with Interphase and include cytokinesis. During Interphase, diplomatic cells duplicate the chromosomes. Homologous chromosomes line up at the metaphase plate in both processes, too. Another example of the similarities of mitosis and meiosis is that the chromosomes are copied only once.

Mitosis and Meiosis are two different processes with similarities as well as differences. The number of chromosomes produced in humans as well as how many times the cell divides is different. Also, what exactly is produced and the type of reproduction differ as well. The homologous lining up at the metaphase plate; starting with interphase and including cytokinesis; and occurring in both plants and animals are major similarities.