Comparing Meiosis and Mitosis

The main differences are that :

The chromosomes in meiosis undergo a recombination which shuffles the genes producing a different genetic combination in each gamete, compared with the co-existence of each of the two separate pairs of each chromosome (one received from each parent) in each cell which results from mitosis.

The outcome of meiosis is four (genetically unique) haploid cells, compared with the two (genetically identical) diploid cells produced from mitosis.

Sr.No	Mitosis	Meiosis
1.	Mitosis takes place within somatic cells (cells that make up the body).	Meiosis takes place within gamete cells (sex cells).
2.	One single division of the mother cell results in two daughter cells.	Two divisions of the mother cell result in four meiotic products or haploid gametes.
3.	A mitotic mother cell can either be haploid or diploid.	A meiotic mother cell is always diploid.
4.	The number of chromosomes per nucleus remains the same after division.	The meiotic products contain a haploid (n) number of chromosomes in contrast to the (2n) number of chromosomes in mother cell.
5.	It is preceded by a S-phase in which the amount of DNA is duplicated.	In meiosis, only meiosis I is preceded by a S-phase.
6.	In mitosis, there is no pairing of homologous chromosomes.	During prophase I, complete pairing of all homologous chromosomes takes place.
7.	There is no exchange of DNA (crossing-over) between chromosomes.	There is at least one crossing-over or DNA exchange per homologous pair of chromosomes.
8.	The centromeres split during anaphase.	The centromeres do separate during anaphase II, but not during anaphase I.
9.	The genotype of the daughter cells is identical to that of the mother cells.	Meiotic products differ in their genotype from the mother cell.
10.	After mitosis, each daughter cell has exactly same DNA strands.	After meiosis, each daughter cell has only half of the DNA strands