Can anyone compare and contrast the process of mitosis and meiosis?
mitosis and meiosis are both processes of cellular division and follow the same steps: interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. However mitosis only occurs in the somatic body cells and results in two daughter cells. The purpose of mitosis is for cells that grow too large that their surface area:volume ratio is inefficient and the cell cannot support itself, so it divides into 2 smaller cells to restore normal function. It also replaces old and dying cells. Meiosis occurs in the ovaries and testes, and only with germ cells. The purpose of meiosis is to produce gametes. This division also results in 4 daughter cells as opposed to 2 in mitosis. One major difference is the chromosome number in cells that result from mitsis and cells that result from meiosis. Mitosis produces diploid cells, they have a full set of chromosomes. Meiosis produces haploid cells, which have half the number of chromosomes.
