Mitosis vs Meiosis

Cell Division in Somatic Cells

• Mitosis is the type of cell division that occurs in somatic (body) cells.
• Somatic cells are all the cells in the body except for germ cells (sperm and egg cells).

Purpose of Mitosis

• The primary purpose of mitosis is for growth and repair.
• Mitosis allows for the creation of new cells to replace damaged or worn-out cells, ensuring the continuous renewal of tissues.

Stages of Mitosis

• Telophase is the phase of mitosis that follows prophase, metaphase, and anaphase.
• During telophase, the chromosomes reach the poles of the cell, the nuclear envelope reforms, and the cytoplasm divides, ultimately creating two daughter cells.

Outcome of Mitosis

• The end result of mitosis is the production of two identical daughter cells from a single parent cell.
• Each daughter cell receives a complete set of chromosomes, identical to the original parent cell.

Meiosis

• Meiosis occurs specifically in germ cells (sperm and egg cells).
• It is a process of cell division specifically for the production of gametes, which are haploid cells (containing half the number of chromosomes as a somatic cell).

Test your knowledge of cell division processes with this quiz on mitosis and meiosis. Learn about the distinct purposes of mitosis and meiosis, the phases involved in mitosis, and more. Challenge yourself and improve your understanding of cell biology.