Differences between mitosis and meiosis
| Mitosis | Meiosis |
| It is produced in somatic cells. | It is produced in diploid cells that will give rise to gametes. |
| It consists of a single cell division. | It consists of two successive divisions. |
| No overcrossing occurs . | In the prophase I occurs crossing over of homologous chromosomes. |
| Sister (identical) chromatids separate at anaphase. |
In anaphase I pairs of homologous chromosomes separate. In anaphase II chromatids (distinct, recombined) separate. |
| The result is two daughter cells with the same genetic information as the parent cell. | The result is four daughter cells with half the genetic information of the parent cell, and different from each other. |
| Its purpose is the growth and renewal of cells. | Its purpose is sexual reproduction and genetic variability. |
Extension: Differences between mitosis and meiosis (2nd Baccalaureate).