Key Differences between Mitosis and Meiosis
Makeup of chromosomes in daughter cells
Mitosis: identical Meiosis: different- various combinations of maternal and paternal chromosomes, paternal and maternal segments mixed within chromosomes
Synapsis of homologs
Mitosis: no Meiosis: yes
Number of crossing over events
Mitosis: none Meiosis: one or more pair of homologous chromosomes
Number of chromosomes in daughter cells compared with parent cell
Mitosis: one Meiosis: half
Number of cell divisions
Mitosis: one Meiosis: two
Role in organism life cycle
Mitosis: asexual reproduction in some eukaryotes; cell division for growth Meiosis: halving of chromosome number in cells that will produce gametes