What is the difference between mitosis and meiosis?

Both are processes of cell division in which one cell splits. In mitosis two genetically identical daughter cells are produced. In mitosis the 46 chromosomes within a cell (human) are duplicated, then one copy if each chromosome is given to each daughter cell. Since each daughter cell contains identical copies of the 46 chromosomes the daughter cells are exact copies of each other. Mitosis is the process used in somatic cell division.

Meiosis however is the process undertaken in germ cell production and two cell divisions occur resulting in haploid daughter cells (each daughter cell has half the number of chromosomes). This process is necessary so that two halpoid cells can later fuse during the feritilisation stage of sexual reproduction to generate a complete diploid cell. Like in mitosis the the first step is DNA replication such that a copy is made of each of the 46 chromosomes. Within the cell 23 chromosomes are inherited from the mother and the other 23 from the father. Unlike mitosis however the process by which these chromosomes are divided up differs. In meiosis he maternal and paternal pairs come together and undergro a process of crossing over in which segments of chromosomes may be traded creating genwtically novel chromosomes. At the first divison each daughter cell receives 23 pairs of chromosomes (each cell containing 1-23) with the chromosomes being a combination of those initially inherited from the mother or the father. at the end of the first division each daughter cell has 23 pairs of chromosomes. A second division then occurs in which each daughter cell splits into two with each 2nd genration daughter cell receiveng one half of each pair of chromosomes so that the final number in each of the four daughter cells is 23 individual chromosomes.