What occurs durring meiosis that does not occur durring mitosis?
a) Chromosones are passed to offspring
b) A cell divides in half
c) The chromosone number is divided in half
d) Two sex cells combine
https://www.yourgenome.org/facts/mitosis-versus-meiosis
The correct answer is c) The chromosome number is divided in half.
During meiosis, a specialized form of cell division that generates gametes (sex cells), the chromosome number is reduced by half. This is important because gametes, such as sperm and eggs, need to have half the usual number of chromosomes so that when they combine during fertilization, the resulting zygote will have the correct number of chromosomes (the normal diploid number).
To further explain how this happens, meiosis involves two rounds of cell division: meiosis I and meiosis II. In meiosis I, homologous chromosomes pair up and exchange genetic material through a process called crossing over. This genetic recombination creates new combinations of alleles and increases genetic diversity. Then, the homologous chromosomes separate, resulting in two daughter cells, each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell.
Next, in meiosis II, similar to mitosis, the sister chromatids (duplicated chromosomes) separate, resulting in four daughter cells with half the number of chromosomes as the original parent cell. These daughter cells are now haploid, meaning they contain a single set of chromosomes.
In contrast, during mitosis which is involved in growth and tissue repair, a cell divides into two identical daughter cells that are genetically identical to the original parent cell. The chromosome number remains the same in mitosis, while in meiosis it is reduced by half.