Question

Differentiate between the events of mitosis and meiosis

Answer 1

Mitosis	Meiosis
1. Take place in the somatic cells of the body.	1. Take place in the germ cells
2. Occurs in both sexually as well as asexually reproducing organisms.	2. Occurs only in sexually reproducing organisms.
3. Mitosis involves only one cycle of nuclear and cell division.	3. Meiosis involves two sequential cycles of nuclear and cell division called meiosis-I and meiosis-II.
4. The DNA replicates once for one cell division.	4. The DNA replicates once for two cell divisions.
5. The prophase is shorter.	5. Prophase is typically longer
6. Prophase is comparatively simple.	6. The Prophase of the first meiotic division is more complex when compared to prophase of mitosis.
7. The cell divides only once and the chromosomes also divide only once.	7. There are two cell divisions but the chromosomes divide only once.
8. Mitosis does not involve the pairing of homologous chromosomes and recombination between them.	8. Meiosis involves the pairing of homologous chromosomes and recombination between them.
9. Two cells are formed at the end of mitosis.	9. Four haploid cells are formed at the end of meiosis.