Mitosis and meiosis are important processes that help living things grow and develop. They each have different jobs when it comes to making new cells and changing genes.

Mitosis: Growth and Repair

1. What is Mitosis?
   Mitosis is when one cell splits into two identical cells. Each of these new cells has the same number of chromosomes as the original cell.

2. How Mitosis Helps Growth:

   • Mitosis is key for making more cells as living things grow. For example, when a baby is developing, one fertilized egg can turn into over 100 trillion cells in a human!
   • Each time a cell divides, its DNA is copied accurately. Mistakes are very rare, happening about 1 in every 100,000 times.

3. How Mitosis Aids Repair:

   • Mitosis is also important for fixing damaged or dead cells. Like, our skin cells are always changing. Around 30,000 to 40,000 skin cells fall off every minute. So, mitosis keeps our skin healthy by making new skin cells.

Meiosis: Changing Genes

1. What is Meiosis?
   Meiosis is a special way that cells divide. It cuts the number of chromosomes in half and creates four different cells (sperm or eggs).

2. How Meiosis Helps Reproduction:

   • Meiosis is really important for making new life. It makes sure each egg or sperm has half the number of chromosomes—23 for humans instead of 46 in regular cells. This is important so that the new baby has the correct amount of chromosomes when it is formed.
   • During meiosis, a process called crossing over happens. This means that bits of DNA are swapped between chromosomes, making each new cell unique. In fact, this can create over 70 trillion different combinations of genes in humans alone!

3. Why Genetic Change Matters:

   • The genetic diversity from meiosis is essential for evolution and for living things to adapt. Organisms with more genetic differences are better able to survive changes in their environment.

Summary

In short, mitosis helps living things grow and heal by creating identical cells. On the other hand, meiosis fosters genetic diversity that is important for reproduction. Together, these processes support growth, development, and adaptation in living organisms, showing their vital role in genetics and biology.