Meiosis
Overview, Meiosis I, The Sources Of Genetic Diversity, Meiosis Ii, Chromosomal AberrationsComparison with Mitosis
Meiosis is a type of cell division that, in humans, occurs only in male testes and female ovary tissue, and, together with fertilization, it is the process that is characteristic of sexual reproduction. Meiosis serves two important purposes: it keeps the number of chromosomes from doubling each generation, and it provides genetic diversity in offspring. In this it differs from mitosis, which is the process of cell division that occurs in all somatic cells.
In summary, the main differences between meiosis and mitosis are that meiosis occurs only in specialized cells rather than in every tissue; it produces haploid gametes rather than diploid somatic cells; and each daughter cell is genetically different from the others due to recombination and independent assortment of homologues, rather than genetically identical. The pairing of homologous chromosomes and crossing over occur only in meiosis.
Additional topics
- Gregor Mendel - Education And Training, Experiments On Peas, Laws Of Inheritance, Mendel's Scientific Legacy
- Victor McKusick
- Meiosis - Overview
- Meiosis - Meiosis I
- Meiosis - The Sources Of Genetic Diversity
- Meiosis - Meiosis Ii
- Meiosis - Chromosomal Aberrations
- Other Free Encyclopedias