Direct comparison
Mitosis vs meiosis
Mitosis makes two identical cells for growth and repair; meiosis makes four genetically varied sex cells for reproduction.
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Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | Mitosis | Meiosis |
|---|---|---|
| What it produces | Two daughter cells. | Four daughter cells. |
| Genetic make-up of cells | Genetically identical to the parent cell (clones). | Genetically varied — all different from each other and the parent. |
| Chromosome number | Stays the same (diploid to diploid). | Halved (diploid to haploid). |
| Number of divisions | One division. | Two divisions in a row (meiosis I and II). |
| Where it happens | In most body (somatic) cells throughout the organism. | Only in the reproductive organs that make gametes. |
| Purpose | Growth, repair and asexual reproduction. | Making sex cells for sexual reproduction. |
| Variation | No new variation — cells are copies. | Creates variation through crossing over and independent assortment. |
| Cells in humans | Each daughter cell has 46 chromosomes. | Each gamete (egg or sperm) has 23 chromosomes. |
| Pairing of chromosomes | Chromosomes do not pair up. | Homologous chromosomes pair up and may swap sections. |
A simple way to keep them apart
Remember mitosis with the phrase "mitosis makes more of the same": two identical cells for everyday growth and repair. Remember meiosis with "meiosis makes mates for reproduction": four different sex cells with half the chromosomes. The halving in meiosis matters because a sperm and an egg join at fertilisation — if each carried the full set, the number would double every generation. By halving first, meiosis lets fertilisation restore the normal full set. Meiosis is also where most genetic variation between siblings comes from, through crossing over and the random shuffling of chromosomes.
Common questions
FAQ
Why does meiosis make four cells but mitosis only two?+
Meiosis includes two divisions one after the other. The first division separates the paired chromosomes and the second separates the copies, so a single starting cell becomes four. Mitosis has just one division, so one cell becomes two. The extra division in meiosis is also what halves the chromosome number in each final cell.
Do mitosis and meiosis happen in the same cells?+
No. Mitosis happens in ordinary body cells all over the organism — skin, gut lining, bone marrow and so on — for growth and repair. Meiosis happens only in the reproductive organs that make gametes, such as the ovaries and testes in humans. A single cell never does both at the same time.
Which type of division creates genetic variation?+
Meiosis. It shuffles genetic material in two ways: crossing over, where paired chromosomes swap matching sections, and independent assortment, where chromosome pairs line up and separate randomly. Together these mean every gamete is genetically unique, which is why siblings differ. Mitosis simply copies cells, so it creates no new variation.
Going deeper
