Meiosis

Meiosis is a process required for sexual reproduction in eukaryotes in order to produce egg and sperm cells. This process of cell division bears some similarities to mitosis.

Since meiosis is a process required for sexual reproduction, cell division usually occurs in the reproductive organs of males and females. Thus, this occurs in the ovaries and testes. Furthermore, since this process of cell division produces eggs and sperm, it is producing haploid (n) cells. This differs from mitosis which produces diploid (2n) daughter cells. Haploid cells have one set of chromosomes, whereas diploid cells have two sets.

The process of meiosis has some similarities with mitosis and thus, meiosis begins with DNA replication. This stage of DNA replication, in which each chromosome is doubled, is termed interphase.

The next stage of meiosis is split into two parts: meiosis I and meiosis II. It is during meiosis I that the chromosome number is halved and it is during meiosis II that four haploid cells result after the chromosomes are split apart.

For the specifics on the processes of meiosis, please read the section on Meiosis I and Meiosis II. It becomes quite noticeable when learning the details of each part of meiosis how this process of cell division overlaps with mitosis.