Question

Compare and contrast mitosis and meiosis in terms of the # of nuclear divisions, the occurrence of synapsis and crossing over, # of daughter cells produced, and the genetic composition of cells (identical or not?).

a) Mitosis has one nuclear division, while meiosis has two. Mitosis does not have synapsis and crossing over, but meiosis does. Mitosis produces two identical daughter cells, while meiosis produces four non-identical daughter cells.
b) Mitosis has two nuclear divisions, while meiosis has one. Mitosis has synapsis and crossing over, but meiosis does not. Mitosis produces four non-identical daughter cells, while meiosis produces two identical daughter cells.
c) Mitosis has one nuclear division, while meiosis has one. Mitosis does not have synapsis and crossing over, and neither does meiosis. Mitosis produces two identical daughter cells, while meiosis produces four non-identical daughter cells.
d) Mitosis has two nuclear divisions, while meiosis has two. Mitosis has synapsis and crossing over, but meiosis does not. Mitosis produces four non-identical daughter cells, while meiosis produces two identical daughter cells.

Answer 1

Mitosis and meiosis are both forms of division of the nucleus in eukaryotic cells, but they have distinct differences in terms of the number of nuclear divisions, occurrence of synapsis and crossing over, number of daughter cells produced, and genetic composition of cells.

Step-by-step explanation:

Mitosis and meiosis are both forms of division of the nucleus in eukaryotic cells. They share some similarities, but also exhibit distinct differences that lead to very different outcomes. Mitosis is a single nuclear division that results in two genetically identical daughter nuclei, while meiosis is two nuclear divisions that result in four genetically distinct daughter nuclei. In terms of the occurrence of synapsis and crossing over, meiosis involves these processes, but mitosis does not. Lastly, mitosis produces two daughter cells that are genetically identical to the parent cell, whereas meiosis produces four daughter cells that have different genetic compositions than the parent cell.