Question
List the main differences between mitosis and meiosis.
| Events | Mitosis | Meiosis |
| Occurrence | In all the body cells including germ cells. | Only in the germ (reproductive) cells. |
| Definition | It is an equational division. | It is a reductional division. |
| Number of daughter cells | Only two | Four |
| Prophase | Involves relatively few changes. | Involves a series of changes in chromosome distinguished into 5 substage. |
| Chromomeres | Not visible in prophase. | Visible in the leptotene stage of prophase-I. |
| Synapsis | Does not occur. | Occurs in zygotene of prophase-I. |
| Crossing over | Does not occur. | Occurs in pachytene stage of prophase-I. |
| Metaphase | Chromosomes arrange along the equator. | Chromosomes arrange equally on either side of the equator in metaphase-I. |
| Centromeres in Anaphase | Each centromere splits into two. | Centromeres do not split in metaphase-I. |
| Centromeres in Metaphase | Orient towards the equator while chromatids orient towards poles. | Orient towards poles while chromatids orient towards the equator in metaphase-I. |
| Telophase | Results in the formation of two daughter nuclei having the same no. of chromosomes as that of parent cell. | Telophase-II results in the formation of two daughter nuclei, each having half the no. of chromosomes as that of parent cell. |
| Cytokinesis | Follows immediately after the karyokinesis. | May or may not occur at the end of first karyokinesis. |
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