Final answer:
Mitosis results in two genetically identical diploid daughter cells, serving growth and tissue repair, while meiosis produces four genetically distinct haploid daughter cells for sexual reproduction. Meiosis includes two rounds of cell division with chromosome number reduction and genetic recombination, unlike mitosis which has one round preserving the chromosome number.
Step-by-step explanation:
Comparing Mitosis and Meiosis
Both mitosis and meiosis are essential processes for eukaryotic cell division. Mitosis is a single round of cell division that results in two diploid daughter cells that are genetically identical to the parent cell. This process is fundamental for growth, tissue repair, and asexual reproduction. Meiosis, on the other hand, includes two rounds of cell division, leading to the formation of four haploid daughter cells that are genetically distinct. This is crucial for the production of gametes in sexual reproduction. While both processes begin with one round of DNA replication, meiosis involves a distinctive reduction of chromosome number and genetic recombination, yielding diverse offspring.
In mitosis, the division process follows interphase, and it includes a series of stages: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. The result is two diploid cells with the same chromosome number as the parent cell. In contrast, meiosis comprises meiosis I and meiosis II, with each stage having an analogous step to mitosis but with different consequences. The first meiotic division (meiosis I) includes the pairing of homologous chromosomes and recombination, leading to genetic diversity. The second division (meiosis II) is similar to mitosis but results in four unique haploid cells rather than identical diploid cells.