What are the significant differences between Mitosis and Meiosis ?

 

Mitosis

1. It occurs in the vegetative or somatic cells.

2. After this division two daughter cells are produced.

3. Daughter cells process the same chromosome number as that of parent cell.

4. It is of short duration.

5. Daughter cells are similar to parent cell genetically.

6. There is no crossing over in mitosis.

7. With the splitting of centomere, chromatids are pulled apart towards the respective poles. Each chromatid behaves as an independent chromosome.

8. This is an equational division.

9. Homologous chromosomes are not arranged in pairs in the equatorial plate.

10. Genetic variation does not occur between daughter cells.

11. DNA synthesis is completed in the interphase.

12. In metaphase, the centromeres are lined up on the equatorial plane and the arms extend into the eytoplasm.

Meiosis

1. It occurs in the reproductive cells.

2. Four daughter cells are produced after melotic division.

3. Chromosome number of daughter cells is reduced to half.

4. It is of long duration. The complete process is divided in to two divisions.

5. Daughter cells have genetic differences from the parent cell.

6. Crossing over takes place between the nonsister chromatids.

7. Whole chromosome moves apart in anaphase I of meiosis because there is no splitting of centromere.

8. In meiosis, the first division is reductional and the second one is equational.

9. Homologous chromosomes are arranged in pairs in the equatorial plate.

10. Exchange between maternal and paternal chromosomal segments does not render the daughter cell identical.

11. DNA synthesis is not completed in the interphase.

12. In metaphaseI, the centromeres of the homologous chromosomes lie towards the two opposite poles and their arms extend towards the equator.