Both are forms of cell division (and necessary for reproduction), but meiosis and mitosis operate very differently. Mitosis is the division of a cell in two – a parent cell divides into two genetically identical daughter cells. You can think of it as a natural form of cloning. When an organism reproduces asexually, it is reproducing through mitosis.
Meiosis, on the other hand, is necessary for sexual reproduction. Meiosis is the division of a parent cell into four daughter cells. Each of those daughter cells has only half of the DNA of the parent. So while mitosis allows for asexual reproduction and results in clones, meiosis allows for sexual reproduction: in other words combining the DNA of two parents.
Figure 1: Mitosis
Figure 2: Meiosis
Go to the site below to read about mitosis and meiosis. Once you have read the short article, click on the button near the top that says, “Launch Interactive”. The simulation will show you a step by step comparison of mitosis and meiosis. Watch the simulation and make sure that you read the captions that appear. In particular, pay attention to the movement of chromosomes – they line up differently depending on whether the cell is undergoing mitosis or meiosis. Once you have read the information on the site and watched the simulation, go back to the previous page and answer the questions there.