Mitosis versus Meiosis

Mitosis versus Meiosis: Five Key Differences

1. In meiosis homologous chromosomes pair with each other (i.e., they form tetrads) and crossing-over occurs. In mitosis neither of these things occur.
2. In metaphase I of meiosis, tetrads align on the metaphase plate. In metaphase of mitosis individual chromosomes align there.
3. In anaphase I of meiosis, centromeres don't divide, and sister chromatids don't separate. In mitotic anaphase they do separate.
4. In meiosis there are two successive divisions, ultimately producing four daughter cells. In mitosis there is only one division and it produces two daughter cells.
5. Another important difference in comparing mitosis versus meiosis is that meiotic prophase I lasts far longer than does mitotic prophase. In fact, it is broken into several named substages, which is not the case for mitotic prophase.