The major difference between mitosis and meiosis is that it occurs in body cells, and meiosis occurs in sex cells.Thus a diploid cell produces four haploid daughter cells by meiosis.Till the end of meiosis II, each daughter cell of meiosis I produce two haploid daughter cells. Two nuclei are separated by cytokinesis.Nuclear membrane and nucleoli are reconstituted. At this stage, chromosomes become thin and begin to uncoil. The two haploid cells formed due to heterotypic division divide mitotically into two cells each. Mitosis and meiosis differ in that the DNA does not duplicate, but centromeres do in meiosis.Meiosis II is equational (mitotic) in character, also known as meiotic mitosis.Meiosis II (Second Meiotic Division or Homotypic Division) Crossing over (or exchanging genetic material) occurs at the chiasmata leading to increased variation.To hold homologous chromosomes together while they move into position on the spindle before segregation.It performs the following two functions :

Chiasmata may form between any two of the four chromatids, and there may be up to eight chiasmata in a bivalent.Based on chromosomal behaviour, it can be further subdivided into five phases: The primary phase of meiosis is Prophase I and differs considerably from the prophase of mitosis.The first meiotic division is categorised as prophase I, metaphase I, anaphase I, and telophase I. First Meiotic Division or Heterotypic Division (Meiosis I) is heterotypic and is also known as reduction division because the chromosome number is halved.Meiosis is a complicated process and comprises two consecutive divisions: meiosis I and meiosis II.The chromosome number gets reduced in this process, also called reduction division. The daughter nuclei formed by this process contain only half of the parent nucleus’ chromosomes. The process of meiosis occurs in reproductive cells. A nuclear membrane is rebuilt around every group of chromosomes thus, one nucleus is established at each pole.Ĭytokinesis – In this process, there is segmentation and separation of cytoplasm into two daughter cells. The chromosomes with their centromeres at poles begin to uncoil and lengthen. This is the last phase of mitotic division in which daughter cells are formed. Telophase: It is the process of uncoiling chromosomes, disappearing the spindle, and reappearing the nucleolus and nuclear membrane.In this phase, the sister chromatids or daughter chromosomes shift towards either side of the poles of the spindle. Division of centromere denotes the start of anaphase, and it is the shortest phase in the mitotic cycle. Anaphase (movement of daughter chromosomes towards the poles).At this stage, the spindle is fully developed, and in an equatorial plane, chromosomes are arranged. The disappearance of the nuclear membrane and nucleolus marks the beginning of metaphase. Metaphase (chromosomal orientation at the equatorial plate).It begins with the appearance of chromosomes as thin threads inside the nucleus. Prophase is the longest of the four mitotic phases, lasting several minutes to more than an hour.

Prophase (chromatid coiling, nucleolar disintegration, and spindle formation).

Before cell division, the nucleus is in interphase. Mitotic cell division involves two processes : (i) karyokinesis or nuclear division and (ii) cytokinesis or division of cytoplasm. Mitosis and meiosis are the two phases that are used for cell division.

The daughter nuclei are identical to each other and the parent nucleus qualitatively and quantitatively. These organise into two daughter nuclei, one at each pole. It is the process in which chromosomes of a nucleus split longitudinally into two halves and migrate to the two poles, each pole with one-half of the chromosomes. Meiosis occurs in germs cells in gonads and results in gamete formation, and Mitosis repeatedly takes place in the somatic cells.

Prophase of mitosis vs meiosis