Difference Between the Stages of Mitosis and Meiosis 1

Mitosis: It is the characteristic type of cell division, which keeps up the genetic continuity and integrity of organisms and preserves their somatic chromosome value all through successive organisms. It is described as equational division.

The mitotic phase is divided into four stages: Prophase, Metapahse, Anaphase and Telophase.

Meiosis: It is a specialized type of cell division, occurring in the diploid reproductive cells of asexually reproducing organisms. It provides a mechanism for the reduction of chromosome number from a diploid to a haploid.

a. Meiosis 1 or First meiotic division: is a reductional and disjuctional heterotypic division, because the daughter cells are not identical.

The first meiotic division is completed in four successive stages, namely prophase 1, metaphase 1, anaphase 1 and telophase 1

b. Meiosis 2 or Second Meiotic Division: is a homotypic equational division, because the daughter cells are identical to each other and also to the immediate parent cell.

Meiosis 1

1. Complex and prolonged

2. Synapsis, crossing over and chiasmata formation occur

Mitosis

1. Simple and Brief

2. Synapsis, crossing over and chiasmata formation do not occur

Meiosis 1

3. Chromosomes are in the form of tetrads.

4. Sister chromatids are not identical due to crossing over and recombination.

5. in the metaphasic plate, centromeres face the poles, and the arms are directed towards the equcator.

Mitosis

3. Chromosome are in the form of diads.

4. Sister chromatids of each chromosome are identical.

5. In the metaphasic plate, the centromeres of chromosomes line up in the same plane, facing the equator. But their arms are directed to the poles.

Meiosis

6. Centromeres do not divide, only the sister chromosomes of each pair separate and move to opposite poles.

Mitosis

6. Centromeres of chromosomes divide and the sister chromatids separate from each other and move to opposite poles.

Meiosis 1

7. Spindle fibres do not completely disappear and nucleolus may not re appear.

8.In each polar set the number of chromosomes is reduced to half the parental number. Chromosome are double stranded.

Mitosis

7. Spindle fibres disappear completely and nucleolus re appears

8. Chromosome number remains unchanged in the two polar sets. Chromosome are single stranded.