Mitosis and meiosis are two important ways cells divide, but they do different things and lead to different results.
Mitosis:
- What it Does: Mitosis helps us grow, heal, and can also create new cells without needing a partner.
- Stages: It has four main steps: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase.
- How Many Times it Divides: There is one round of division.
- Cells Made: It creates two cells that are exactly like the original cell. These are called diploid cells.
- Genetic Changes: The new cells are identical, so there are no changes to the genes.
- How Long it Takes: This process usually takes about 1 to 2 hours.
Meiosis:
- What it Does: Meiosis is all about making sperm and egg cells for sexual reproduction.
- Stages: This process includes two rounds of division called meiosis I and meiosis II.
- How Many Times it Divides: There are two rounds of division.
- Cells Made: It produces four cells that are different from the original. These are called haploid cells, meaning they have half the number of chromosomes.
- Genetic Changes: Meiosis creates genetic diversity because it mixes up genes during what is called crossing over.
- How Long it Takes: This process can take several hours or even days, depending on the organism.
In short, mitosis makes two identical cells, while meiosis makes four different cells. Each process plays an important role in how organisms grow and reproduce.