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3.6: Compare and Contrast Mitosis and Meiosis

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    3.6 Compare and Contrast Mitosis and Meiosis

    Here, we outline the differences between mitosis and meiosis in humans (Diploid #46). Knowing the differences between these fundamental cell processes is an important foundation in your understanding of genetics for the rest of the course.

    Table 3.6.1 Differences between Mitosis and Meiosis in Humans (Diploid #46)
    Cell Processes Mitosis Meiosis
    Creates all the cells in your body except sex cells sex cells only; Female egg cells or Male sperm cells
    Definition

    		process of cell division that forms two new cells (daughter cells), each of which has the same number of chromosomes process in cell division during which four new cells are created each with half the original number of chromosomes, which results in the production of sex cells
    End Products 2 daughter cells 4 daughter cells
    Steps Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase Interphase, Prophase I, Metaphase I, Anaphase I, Telophase I, Prophase II, Metaphase II, Anaphase II, Telophase II
    Type of Reproduction asexual sexual
    Are they identical to the parent cell?

    Yes, they are identical

    		 No, they are different since they have half the number of chromosomes as the original
    When does cytokinesis occur? occurs in Telophase occurs in Telophase I, and Telophase II

    How many times does the parent cell divide?

    		 1 2

    What happens to the number of chromosomes at the end of each process? Are they in pairs or individual chromosomes?

    Identical to parent; Individual chromosomes

    ½ chromosomes as parent; individual chromosomes
    Why is each important? Needed to repair damaged body, create new body cells, for growth, and to replace cells that have died Needed to create sex cells required for sexual reproduction to create a new organism, and for variation within a population

    How many chromosomes do human body cells and human sex cells have after they go through each process?

    		 46 23

    Take a look at the following video, Mitosis vs. Meiosis, by Beverly Biology (2014) on YouTube, which compares and contrasts mitosis and meiosis.

    Thumbnail for the embedded element "Mitosis vs Meiosis"

    A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://opengenetics.pressbooks.tru.ca/?p=1341

    Reference

    Beverly Biology. (2014, May 3). Mitosis vs. Meiosis (video file). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRcjB11hDCU

    This page titled 3.6: Compare and Contrast Mitosis and Meiosis is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Natasha Ramroop Singh via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.