Biology

Question

What is the difference between mitosis and meiosis, and why is meiosis important for sexual reproduction?

bojanailic · Answer

mitosis and meiosis are two different types of cell division.
mitosis is the process by which a single cell divides to produce two genetically identical daughter cells. it is used for growth, repair, and asexual reproduction. in mitosis, the chromosome number of the daughter cells remains the same as in the parent cell (diploid → diploid).
meiosis, on the other hand, is a special type of cell division that occurs only in reproductive cells (sperm and eggs). it reduces the chromosome number by half (diploid → haploid), producing four genetically different daughter cells. this variation is caused by crossing over and independent assortment of chromosomes during meiosis.
importance of meiosis for sexual reproduction:
meiosis is crucial because it ensures that offspring have the correct number of chromosomes. when haploid gametes (sperm and egg) fuse during fertilization, the resulting zygote has the normal diploid chromosome number. additionally, the genetic variation produced by meiosis increases diversity in a population, which is essential for evolution and adaptation.

srikanth_16 · Answer

globalstudypro2025 · Answer

differences between mitosis and meiosis mitosis and meiosis are both processes of cell division, but they serve very different purposes. mitosis is the type of cell division that produces two genetically identical daughter cells, each with the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell (diploid). it occurs in somatic (body) cells and is responsible for growth, tissue repair, and asexual reproduction in some organisms (alberts et al., 2014). meiosis, in contrast, occurs only in specialized reproductive cells (germ cells). it consists of two successive divisions—meiosis i and meiosis ii—that produce four daughter cells, each with half the number of chromosomes (haploid). these cells become gametes: sperm in males and eggs in females (griffiths et al., 2015). key distinctions include:

number of divisions: mitosis has one, meiosis has two. number of daughter cells: mitosis produces 2, meiosis produces 4. genetic outcome: mitosis creates identical cells, while meiosis creates genetically diverse cells due to crossing-over and independent assortment. chromosome number: mitosis maintains the same chromosome number, meiosis reduces it by half. importance of meiosis in sexual reproduction meiosis is essential for sexual reproduction because it ensures that offspring have the correct number of chromosomes. by reducing the chromosome number in gametes from diploid (2n) to haploid (n), meiosis prevents chromosome numbers from doubling each generation. when fertilization occurs, the fusion of haploid gametes restores the diploid state. additionally, meiosis introduces genetic variation through two mechanisms: crossing-over: during prophase i, homologous chromosomes exchange genetic material. independent assortment: chromosomes are distributed randomly into gametes. this variation is critical for evolution and adaptation, as it produces unique combinations of genes in each offspring, increasing the chances of survival in changing environments (maynard smith, 1998). conclusion in summary, mitosis produces identical cells for growth and repair, while meiosis produces diverse gametes for sexual reproduction. meiosis is important not only for maintaining chromosome stability across generations but also for creating the genetic diversity that drives evolution. references alberts, b. et al. (2014). molecular biology of the cell. garland science. griffiths, a. j. f. et al. (2015). introduction to genetic analysis. w. h. freeman. maynard smith, j. (1998). evolutionary genetics. oxford university press.

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