Answer:
The daughter cells produced by meiosis are genetically different from each other as they have different gene combinations as a result of crossing over (transfer of genes between homologous chromosomes) and the random segregation of homologous chromosomes into different cells, whereas the daughter cells produced by mitosis are genetically identical as no recombination or crossing over occur.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process in which new cells are made order to grow, replenish (repair), and reproduce is called cell division . During cell division, cells pass through different phases called cell cycle. The three main types of cell division are binary fission, mitosis, and meiosis. In eukaryotes, there are two types of cell division - mitosis (the process of making new body cells like blood, muscle etc ) and meiosis (reproductive cell division that creates egg and sperm cells).
In mitosis, a cell is replicated into exact copies of itself and duplicates all of its contents including the chromosomes and splits to form two identical diploid daughter cells. These daughter cells are genetically identical and are diploid containing the same number of chromosomes as that of the parent cell. In mitosis, no recombination or crossing over (transfer of genes between chromosomes) occur.
Meiosis is a type of cell division in which four haploid daughter cells are produced from a diploid parent cell having two copies of each chromosome. Here the daughter cells have different gene combinations as a result of crossing over and the random segregation of homologous chromosomes into different cells. Thus the daughter cells produced after meiosis are genetically different and each cell is haploid containing one-half the number of chromosomes as that of the parent cell by undergoing DNA replication and nuclear division. Thus meiosis helps in evolution by creating genetic diversity in the daughter cells.
During the fertilization process in an organism, the correct number of chromosomes is restored when the haploid male and female gamete combined to form a single diploid zygote, which is the first developmental stage of an organism.