Meiosis refers to the form of cellular reproduction where the division of cells results into the chromosome number being reduced by half and results in haploid cells. Mitosis, on the other hand, is the process through which cells divide producing daughter cells, which are diploid, and a replica of the parent cell (Department of Genetics, 2004).
Meiosis usually takes place in the sexual reproduction processes while mitosis takes place in asexual and cellular reproduction as well as in the general growth and body repair. Meiosis usually takes place in humans, plants, animals, and fungi and mitosis take place in all organisms. The genetic makeup of the parent is different from that of the daughter cells, in meiosis, while in mitosis, the genetic makeup is identical. In the meiosis, there is crossing over which is not available in mitosis. There are two divisions, in meiosis while in the mitosis, only one division takes place.
The end product of meiosis is four haploid cells and the chromosome reduced by half while in mitosis, only 2 diploid cells are produced and the chromosome number is retained. The meiosis process produces the sex cells, sperms and ovum while the mitosis produces all the other cells but do not produce the reproductive cells (Gregory, 2013).
Reference List
Berkeley. (2013). Types of Mutations. Retrieved April 4, 2013, from http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/evo101/IIIC3aTypes.shtml
Gonnet, G. (1998). Insertions and Deletions. Retrieved April 4, 2013, from http://www.inf.ethz.ch/personal/gonnet/DarwinManual/node158.html
Gregory, M. J. (2013). Mitosis and Meiosis. Retrieved April 4, 2013, from http://faculty.clintoncc.suny.edu/faculty/michael.gregory/files/bio%20101/bio%20101%20laboratory/mitosis/mitosis.htm
