1. Prophase: Chromosomes condense, the nuclear envelope dissolves, and spindle fibers form.

2. Metaphase: Chromosomes align in the center of the cell.

3. Anaphase: Sister chromatids are pulled apart to opposite sides of the cell.

4. Telophase: Nuclear envelopes reform around the two sets of chromosomes.

5. Cytokinesis: The cytoplasm divides, resulting in two genetically identical daughter cells.

Key Differences:

• Mitosis results in two diploid (2n) daughter cells, each with a full set of chromosomes (identical to the parent cell).

• Mitosis is used for growth, tissue repair, and asexual reproduction.

Mitosis is the process by which a parent cell divides into two identical daughter cells, each containing a full set of chromosomes (Campbell et al., 2020)

1. Prophase I: Chromosomes condense, homologous chromosomes pair up, and crossing over (exchange of genetic material) occurs.

2. Metaphase I: Homologous chromosomes align in the center of the cell.

3. Anaphase I: Homologous chromosomes are separated to opposite sides of the cell.

4. Telophase I & Cytokinesis: Two haploid (n) cells form, but each chromosome still consists of two sister chromatids.

5. Prophase II, Metaphase II, Anaphase II, Telophase II: Similar to mitosis, the sister chromatids separate, resulting in four genetically unique haploid daughter cells.

Key Differences:

• Meiosis results in four haploid (n) daughter cells, each with half the chromosome number of the parent cell, used in sexual reproduction.

• Crossing over and the independent assortment of chromosomes introduce genetic variation.

Chromosomal Behavior:

• During Prophase I of meiosis, homologous chromosomes undergo crossing over, which allows for the exchange of genetic material between non-sister chromatids, creating new combinations of genes.

• During Metaphase I, homologous chromosomes line up randomly (independent assortment), meaning the maternal and paternal chromosomes are shuffled, creating further variation.

Mendel’s Law of Independent Assortment: This law states that genes for different traits are passed independently of one another. The random orientation of homologous chromosome pairs during Metaphase I supports this principle, as each gamete receives a random mix of maternal and paternal chromosomes.

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Meiosis, on the other hand, produces four genetically unique daughter cells with half the number of chromosomes (haploid, n) (Alberts et al., 2014).

Meiosis promotes genetic variation through crossing over in Prophase I and independent assortment of chromosomes in Metaphase I, leading to the random distribution of chromosomes to gametes. This is the foundation of Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment, which explains how different genes are inherited independently from each other (Reece et al., 2018).