Number of Divisions: 1

Phases: Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase, Cytokinesis

What Happens:

• DNA duplicates once

• Chromosomes line up, and sister chromatids are pulled apart.

• Two daughter cells are formed.

Outcome:

• 2 genetically identical diploid cells

• Full set of chromosomes (46 in humans)

• Overall, Mitosis is the process that helps organisms grow and repair tissues. It occurs in somatic (body) cells and results in two identical daughter cells, each with the full number of chromosomes (46 in humans) (OpenStax, 2020).

Number of Divisions: 2

Phases: Meiosis I and Meiosis II

What Happens:

• DNA duplicates once, but the cell divides twice

• In Meiosis I, homologous chromosomes separate.

• In Meiosis II, sister chromatids separate.

• Crossing over and independent assortment occur

Outcome:

• 4 genetically unique haploid cells

• Half a set of chromosomes (23 in humans)

• Overall, Meiosis is the cell division process that forms gametes (sperm and egg cells). It involves two divisions, producing four non-identical haploid cells, each with half the DNA (23 chromosomes in humans) (OpenStax, 2020).

Independent Assortment (Metaphase I): Chromosome pairs line up randomly and separate independently.

These two processes generate genetic diversity in offspring.

This explains Mendel’s Law of Independent Assortment, which states genes are passed to offspring independently of one another (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2023).

Learn Genetics, University of Utah. (n.d.). What is meiosis? https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/basics/meiosis

National Human Genome Research Institute. (n.d.). Meiosis. https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Meiosis

OpenStax. (2020). Biology 2e. OpenStax, Rice University. https://openstax.org/books/biology-2e/pages/10-introduction

U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2023). How do genes separate? https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/inheritance/genesseparate/