Mitosis 

and Meoisis.notebook September 17, 2017

Mitosis and Meiosis

Mitosis involves the simple replication of DNA and division of a the cell into two
daughters - a standard process for growth of an eukaryotic organism

Meiosis involves the combination of two gametes with chromosomal crossover to form
four new cells with recombinant DNA from both parents - the essential process for
sexual reproduction

Both processes proceed by a number of similar phases

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Mitosis and Cytokinesis - the basic steps

1. Chromosomes untangle and replicate the DNA
2. Mitosis phases during which chromosomes separate interphase, prophase, metaphase,
anaphase, telophase,
3. Cytokinesis which is the division of all the cell contents in roughly half.

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The phases
Interphase - during early interphase (S) the chromosomes are replicated and in later
interphase become visible as blobs. Interphase takes roughly 90 % of the cells lifetime
and is in three sections G1 and G2. Cell growth is stopped through contact inhibition
putting the cell into G0
Prophase (preprophase in plants where the nucleus migrates to the middle of the cell)
microtubules form a spindle with centrioles (animals) at the apex. Chromatin condenses
into chromosomes, nucleolus disappears.
Metaphase: the nuclear memberane disintegrates and the chromosomes line up in the
middle of the spindle fibres. The centromeres of each chromosome link via kinetochores
to the microtubules
Anaphase: the protein holding the sister chromatids together at the centromere breaks,
the kinetochores rachet down the microtubles pulling the daughter chromosomes apart.
Telophase: cell elongates, the daughter chromatids move to the opposite ends of the cell
and the nuclear membrane reforms and the chromatids decondense.

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Cytokinesis

This is a separate step from mitosis and happens when

the cell splits into forming membranes between the
daughter cells.

Mitosis requires considerable amounts of energy to complete

and can result in errors (mutation).

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Ploidy
Ploidy refers to the number of 
copies of chromosomes. 
Errors in replication result in 
polyploidy and difficult 
conditions such as Jacobs 
and Kleinfelter's syndromes in 
humans ­ often the foetus 
miscarries. Many plants are 
polyploid, whilst humans are 
more often aneuploid.

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• During prophase I, DNA is exchanged between homologous chromosomes in a process

called homologous recombination . This often results in chromosomal crossover.
• The new combinations of DNA created during crossover are a significant source of
genetic variation , and may result in beneficial new combinations of alleles.
• The paired and replicated chromosomes are called bivalents or tetrads, which have two
chromosomes and four chromatids , with one chromosome coming from each parent.
• The process of pairing the homologous chromosomes is called synapsis.
• At this stage, non-sister chromatids may cross-over at points called chiasmata (plural;
singular chiasma).

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Meiosis is distinct from mitosis in that a central feature of meiosis is the alignment of 
homologous chromosomes followed by recombination between them. The two chromosome
s which pair are referred to as non sister chromosomes, since they did not arise
 simply from the replication of a parental chromosome. 
Recombination between non­sister chromosomes at meiosis is known to be a 
recombinational repair process that can repair double-strand breaks and other types 
of double strand damage.
 In contrast, recombination between sister chromosomes cannot repair double­
strand damages arising prior to the replication which produced them. Thus on this view, 
the adaptive advantage of meiosis is that it facilitates recombinational repair of DNA da
mages that are otherwise difficult 
to repair, and that occur as a result of stress, particularly oxidative stress. If left 
unrepaired, 
these damages would likely be lethal to gametes and inhibit production of viable progeny.

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The two contrasting views on the fundamental adaptive function of meiosis are: (1) that 
it is primarily an adaptation for repairing damage in the DNA to be transmitted to 
progeny and (2) that it is primarily an adaptation for generating genetic variation among 
progeny. At present, these differing views on the origin and benefit of meiosis are not 
resolved among biologists

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Summary
Mitosis produces 2 genetically identical diploid cells
Meiosis produces four genetically unique haploid cells
Mitosis purpose is growth by cellular division
Meiosis purpose is sexual reproduction and recombination of genes from both parents.
Prokaryotes cannot undergo meiosis and reproduce by binary fission.

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