Final answer:
In metaphase of mitosis, individual sister chromatids line up at the metaphase plate, while in metaphase of meiosis I, homologous chromosomes line up as tetrads, and crossovers occur, leading to a halving of the chromosome number.
Step-by-step explanation:
Differences Between Metaphase of Mitosis and Metaphase of Meiosis I
The main distinction between the metaphase stage of mitosis and metaphase of meiosis I lies in the arrangement and behavior of chromosomes. In metaphase of mitosis, individual sister chromatids align at the metaphase plate. In contrast, during metaphase of meiosis I, paired homologous chromosomes (tetrads) line up along the equator of the cell with kinetochore fibers from opposite spindle poles attaching to each kinetochore of the homologous pair. Additionally, metaphase of meiosis I features the synaptonemal complex and genetic crossover between nonsister chromatids—events that do not take place in mitosis.
Consequently, meiosis I leads to a reduction in chromosome number by half, creating a diploid to haploid transition, which is not an aspect of mitosis. This reduction division is crucial for maintaining the ploidy level across generations in sexually reproducing organisms.This is different from metaphase of mitosis and metaphase II of meiosis, where it is the sister chromatids that line up along the equator of the cell.