The Four Phases Of Mitosis And Meiosis

Mitosis Meiosis

Most times people get injuries, complex or simple ones like bruises and, within a period of time, these injuries heal. This healing process is made possible through cell division whereby a single cell divides to form two or more cells and the process continues like a cycle. This process helps living things grow, for example, over 2 trillion cells divide every day in human beings. There are two types of cell division processes; mitosis and meiosis, each of which has distinct characteristics.

Definition

Mitosis: A single cell divide into two genetically identical cells. This process is asexual in nature and the resulting cells have equal number of chromosomes in each of the diploid cells, each with identical nuclei.

Meiosis: Meiosis

The chromosomes then split into two sister chromatids which the centromeres hold together. This therefore mean that there are two sets of sister chromatids (four chromatids) in the two chromosomes. Two non-sister chromosomes cross over as the other two remain. Secondly, in metaphase I, chromosomes line up at the center of the spindle fibers in pairs then the third phase, Anaphase I begins when equal amounts of chromosomes divide. On the last phase, telophase I, the daughter cells completely divide, chromosomes disappear, and the nucleic membranes forms.

Meiosis II also have the four phases in meiosis I. First at prophase II, centrioles form spindle fibers as nuclear membrane disappears and chromosome become more visible entering into metaphase II where chromosomes again line up at the middle along the spindle fibers. In anaphase II, the chromosomes split into two chromatids each containing a DNA strand then the cell divides. Lastly, the nucleic membrane forms creating four new cells each with distinct DNA. In males, the four cells form sperms while in females, only one cell becomes the egg and the remaining three are re-absorbed into the