What Is the Significance of Mitosis and Meiosis?

By Staff WriterLast Updated Apr 10, 2020 2:26:23 AM ET

Mitosis and meiosis are very significant because they are the processes by which cells reproduce themselves. Mitosis is the reason why human bodies can grow and repair themselves while meiosis is the process by which sexual reproduction occurs.

During mitosis, a parent cell divides itself into two daughters cells that have the same exact DNA. Because of this, mitosis is essential to the creation of new tissues, fibers and membranes. While mitosis is asexual in its nature, meiosis is the process behind how organisms create offspring.

Both mitosis and meiosis have similar steps, including prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. Meiosis, however, has two cycles of these steps because the parent cell actually divides twice, producing four daughter cells that have half the number of chromosomes of the original cell.

Furthermore, meiosis only occurs in humans, animals, plants and fungi. Meiosis is the reason behind genetic diversity. Mitosis is very important also because unlike meiosis, this cellular process is present in all living organisms. Because the process of mitosis helps organisms grow and repair themselves, numerous examples can be found within the human context. Examples of mitosis are present when the human body repairs itself from injuries, when adolescents experience growth spurts or when the body grows new muscle from exercising.