Compare mitosis and meiosis: the stages, genetic makeup of daughter cells, unique features.

The end result of both processes results in daughter cells produced from a parent cell. However, the number of daughter cells produced by meiosis is twice the number of cells produced by mitosis, and unlike mitosis, are not genetically identical to the parent. In addition, the number of chromosomes in daughter cells produced by meiosis is half the number of chromosomes in daughter cells produced by mitosis, it goes from being 46 in the parent to 23 in humans.

The fundamental sequence of events in mitosis is the same as in meiosis (in meiosis it happens twice). Both processes include the breakdown of the nuclear membrane, the separation of genetic material into two groups, followed by cell division and the reformation of the nuclear membrane in each cells.

The processes differ in two fundamental ways.

Meiosis has two rounds of genetic separation and cellular division while mitosis only has one of each. In meiosis homologous chromosomes separate leading to daughter cells that are not genetically identical. In mitosis the daughter cells are identical to the parent as well as to each other.

Chromosome duplication occurs prior to both mitosis and meiosis (during interphase).