What is a difference between mitosis and meiosis?

Question

Mitosis occurs in all the cells in animals and plants, while meiosis occurs in only in bacteria.
In mitosis, the daughter cells are identical to the parent cell, while in meiosis they are different from the parent cell.
In mitosis, one cell divides into two cells, while in meiosis two cells combine to make one cell.
Mitosis involves separating the chromosomes, while meiosis involves only the cytoplasm of the cell.

Answer 1

The correct difference between mitosis and meiosis from the options given is:

In mitosis, the daughter cells are identical to the parent cell, while in meiosis they are different from the parent cell.

To clarify further:

• Mitosis is a process of cell division that results in two genetically identical daughter cells, each with the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell. It occurs in somatic (body) cells.

• Meiosis is a specialized form of cell division that occurs in the formation of gametes (sperm and eggs) and results in four genetically diverse daughter cells, each with half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell.

The other statements provided contain inaccuracies:

• Meiosis does not occur in bacteria; bacteria reproduce primarily through binary fission, which is a type of asexual reproduction.
• In mitosis, one cell divides into two cells, while in meiosis, one cell divides into four cells, not two cells combining to make one.
• Mitosis involves both separating the chromosomes and dividing the cytoplasm, while meiosis involves two rounds of division and the formation of gametes, with specific steps for both chromosome and cytoplasm division.