What is the difference between mitosis and meiosis?

The main difference between the two types of cell divisions is that the purpose of mitosis is for cell growth and the purpose for meiosis is for sexual differentiation/reproduction. Mitosis occurs in somatic ('regular') cells, whilst meiosis occurs in germ ('sex') cells. Both cell divisions exhibit the cell-growth stages; Interphase (a stage of the cell cycle where a cell spends the majority of their life) followed by Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase and Telophase (which includes the process of CYTOKINESIS- cell splitting). An easy way to remember the 4 stages of the cell cycle after Interphase is PMAT. Meiosis also undergoes the stages of Prophase 2, Metaphase 2, Anaphase 2 and Telophase 2. These second stages of cell division in Meiosis are the reason for its resulting 4 daughter cells, instead of the 2 daughter cells in comparison to Mitosis. An easy way to remember the difference between Mitosis and Meiosis is Mi'T'osis and Me'I'osis, where the 'T' in 'Mitosis' stands for 'tall,' and hence, growth, whilst the 'I' in 'Meiosis' stands for 'intercourse,' and hence, sexual reproduction.