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  1. Glossary
  2. /Biology
  3. /Mitosis and Meiosis

What are Mitosis and Meiosis?

In short

Mitosis is cell division that makes two identical daughter cells with the same number of chromosomes. Meiosis makes four cells with half the number of chromosomes, and is used to make gametes.

In simple words

Mitosis is used for growth and repair, and it has one division. Meiosis has two divisions, and the cells it makes are all different because chromosomes cross over and are shuffled. Meiosis keeps the chromosome number constant from one generation to the next, because the number is restored when two gametes fuse at fertilisation. The stages of mitosis are prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase.

Example

A human body cell has 464646 chromosomes. Mitosis gives two cells of 464646 each. Meiosis gives four cells of 232323 each, so a sperm and an egg together give back 464646.

Learn it properly

  • Lessons on this topic
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Related terms

  • DNA
  • Cell
  • Karyogamy

← All glossary terms

Learn it in

  1. The Cell Cycle and MitosisClass 11 to 12
  2. Meiosis and Its SignificanceClass 11 to 12
  3. Control, Cancer and Counting Through the CycleClass 11 to 12
All lessons on this topic →

Practise

  1. In a hospital laboratory in Cairo, a machine measures the DNA of 10000 cells of a culture…Hard
In a laboratory in Seoul, a stem cell divides every 20 h, and every new cell does the…Medium
  • Ayesha counts 250 cells in a root tip. She finds 20 in prophase, 6 in metaphase, 3 in…Medium
  • A cell has 2n = 12 chromosomes and 2C of DNA in G1…Easy
    • All problems on this topic →

    Quick questions

    1. A drug stops the spindle from forming in dividing cells. In which stage do the cells…Hard
    2. After anaphase, the activity of the M cyclin and CDK complex falls sharply. What is the…Hard
    3. When the Rb protein is not phosphorylated, it binds E2F. What is the effect?Hard

    More Biology terms

    1. Algae
    2. Bacteria
    3. Binomial Nomenclature
    4. Cellular Respiration
    5. Diffusion and Osmosis
    6. Ecosystem
    All Biology terms →

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