Cell Division: Mitosis and Meiosis

Study Notes

Cell division is a fundamental process in the life of cells, which allows for the growth and maintenance of multicellular organisms and the reproduction of unicellular organisms. There are two types of cell division: mitosis and meiosis. Mitosis is the process of making new body cells, while meiosis is the type of cell division that creates egg and sperm cells.

Mitosis:

Mitosis is a process that occurs in the cell cycle, where a parent cell divides into two or more cells called daughter cells
The cell cycle of mitosis is divided into three phases: interphase, mitosis, and cytokinesis
During interphase, the cell grows and prepares for division by replicates its DNA and syntheses proteins
Mitosis is the actual cell division process, where the chromosomes are duplicates and the cell splits into two identical daughter cells
Cytokinesis is the division of the cytoplasm, which occurs in animal cells through the constriction of the cell by a ring of proteins involved in muscle contraction and other forms of cell movement

Meiosis:

Meiosis is a two-step process that reduces the chromosome number by half, from 46 to 23, to form sperm and egg cells
Meiosis ensures that humans have the same number of chromosomes in each generation and allows for genetic variation through a process of gene shuffling
Meiosis is divided into two phases: meiosis 1 and meiosis 2
During meiosis 1, the chromosomes are duplicates and the cell divides into two haploid daughter cells
During meiosis 2, the chromosomes are further divided, and the cell divides into four haploid daughter cells

In animal cells, cytokinesis is achieved through the constriction of the cell by a ring of proteins involved in muscle contraction and other forms of cell movement In plant cells, the cytoplasm is divided by the formation of a new cell wall, called the cell plate, between the two daughter cells The cell plate arises from small Golgi-derived vesicles that coalesce in a plane across the equator, with each vesicle contributes its membrane to the forming cell membranes and its matrix contents to the forming cell wall[1

Description

Explore the processes of mitosis and meiosis, which are vital for the growth, maintenance, and reproduction of cells. Learn about the stages of mitosis and meiosis, the division of chromosomes, and the creation of daughter cells.