IMPORTANT OF MITOSIS AND MEIOSIS There a two type of nuclear division, mitosis and meiosis.

Mitosis is important for increasing the number of cells in the body of an organism during growth. It is also important for replacing dead or worn out cells. Injured tissues and organs are replaced by mitosis. Mitosis forms the basic for asexual reproduction. It ensures that the same chromosomes number and, therefore the same characteristics as the parent cell. Mitosis occurs in somatic cells which are all the body cells while meiosis occurs in reproductive cells produce gametes. In meiosis, crossing over occurs but in mitosis crossing over does not occur. Cytokinesis happens twice in meiosis while once in mitosis. Mitosis produces two daughter cells at the end and have the same chromosome number as the parent cell. They are all genetically identical. Meiosis produces four daughter cells at the end but they are haploid. It means that daughter cells contain half the chromosome number of the parent cell and all the daughter cells are genetically different. Meiosis is a type of nuclear division that occurs during the formation of gametes. It halves the chromosome number so that the gametes formed are haploid. The haploid condition is restored upon fertilisation.Therefore meiosis plays an important role in maintaining the chromosome number from one generation to the next. The gametes formed are all genetically different. This gives rise to variation among the offspring. Variation is important for the survival of a species. MITOSIS Mitosis can be divided into four phases, namely prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. During prophase, each chromose ASPECT Location Importance MITOSIS In somatic cells that have the potensial to divide Used for growth, replacement of damaged and dead cells, and asexual reproduction One Two daughter cells Daughter cells are genetically identically to each other and to the parental cell Daughter cells have diploid number of chromosomes (2n), which is the same number as the parent cell No synapsis of homologous chromosomes a) Chiasmata are not MEIOSIS In cells of reproduction organs Used to produce genetically different and haploid gametes for sexual reproduction Two Four daughter cells Daughter cells are genetically different from each and from the parent cell Daughter cells have haploid number of chromosomes (n) which is half the number of chromosome of the parent cell Homologous chromosomes undergo synapsis (pair together) to form bivalents Chiasmata are formed.

Number of divisions Number of daughter cells produced at the end of the process Genetic content

Chromosome number

Synapsis (Prophase I) Crossing- over (Prophase I)

formed. b) Crossing- over does not occur Metaphase of mitosis and Metaphase I of meiosis Individual chromosomes line up aross equator of the spindle fibres Centromeres divide, sister chromatids separate and move to opposite poles

crossing- over occurs between non- sister chromatids of homologous chromosomes Bivalents (paired homologous chromosomes) line up across the equator of the spindle fibres a) Homologous chromosomes separate and move to opposite poles. b) Sister chromatids are still joined at the centromere.

Anaphase of mitosis and Anaphase I of meiosis