Mitosis & Meiosis

Meiosis and mitosis are quite confused . Let us watch this video .
Can you tell me how to remember mitosis and meiosis?

They are both critical terms in cellular biology.

I know that much. But I need to know the differences between the two.

Mitosis and meiosis are both ways cells can divide and reproduce.

That's why I need to know the difference.

Mitosis is when a cell divides and creates two identical copies.

Kind of like a copier.

Except it takes the original sheet and gives you two clones. Actually, you can think of mitosis as natural cloning.

What then is meiosis?

Meiosis can be thought of me-genesis. It is how you were made, hopefully.

That was covered in sex education, not cellular biology.

Meiosis is when a germ cell fissions to create sex cells. This happened in both your parents, and their germ cells eventually combined to create you.

This is interesting and all, but what is the difference on a cellular level.

Meiosis creates germ cells or sex cells with half the chromosomes needed to make someone or something. It creates a cell that is half of a new whole.

Whereas mitosis creates two new cells that do not combine.

Mitosis creates two new cells with all the chromosomes of the original, baring a genetic error. Meiosis creates new cells that have half the chromosomes of the original.

Maybe I should remember it as mitosis is for bacteria, and meiosis is for advanced life like me.

Now your body has mitosis, too, such as when cells divide and reproduce to replace dead cells. The only place we see meiosis is the creation of new people.

So meiosis is only for the creation of a mini-me.

And mitosis is for minor repairs of your body so you don't fall apart or ossify.