Question

Which of the following accurately describes the difference between mitosis and meiosis in terms of chromosome count?

a) Mitosis results in diploid daughter cells, while meiosis produces haploid cells.
b) Mitosis results in haploid daughter cells, while meiosis produces diploid cells.
c) Mitosis and meiosis both produce diploid daughter cells.
d) Mitosis and meiosis both produce haploid daughter cells.

Answer 1

Mitosis results in two genetically identical diploid daughter cells, while meiosis produces four genetically distinct haploid daughter cells.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer to the question is a) Mitosis results in diploid daughter cells, while meiosis produces haploid cells. In mitosis, a single division produces two daughter cells that are genetically identical to the parent cell, and both are diploid, meaning they contain the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell. In contrast, meiosis includes two rounds of nuclear division resulting in four daughter cells that are haploid and genetically distinct from one another and from the parent cell. This reduction in chromosome number is crucial for sexual reproduction as it ensures that when gametes, such as sperm and egg, combine during fertilization, the resulting offspring has the correct number of chromosomes.