Mitosis and Meiosis
It is important that cells go through mitosis because it makes each new cell contain the same gentic information. If meiosis did not occur the reproduction would cease to exist. Mitosis is the process of chromosomes dividing. There are four steps that it goes through. Between cell division the cells are in interphase. During this there is cell growth and the genetic material such as DNA is contained in the chromosomes, duplicated so that when the cell divides each new cell has a full version of the same genetic material.
First is prophase, which the chromosomes coil up and become visible. Second is metaphase, the chromosomes move in toward the center. Third is anaphase, and here is where the cromatids are pulled apart. Fourth and last, is the telophase, this is when a nuclear envelope forms around the chromosomes. If mitosis occurred in the gametes, when fertilization happens the offspring would receive a double dose of hereditary information. To prevent this, it undergoes the reduction division of meiosis. Meiosis is a form of cell division that cuts the number of chromosomes in halves in the gametes.
An organism would need to go through mitosis for growth, development, repair and asexual reproduction. Meiosis is important for eukayotic organisms, this causes production of gametes which is the organisms reproductive cells) for sexual reproduction. Mesoisi is very random in its way of separating homologus pairs. It randomly determins which of each pair ends up in each newly produced gametes. An organism with 23 pairs of chromosomes can produce 8,388,603 possible types of gametes. According to (2010), “The process of meiosis also creates another opportunity to generate genetic diversity.
During one phase of meiosis, called metaphase, the arrangement of each pair of homologous chromosomes is random, and different combinations of maternal and paternal chromosomes line up with varying orientations to create new gene combinations on different chromosomes. This action is called “independent assortment. ” (para. Five).
Reference (2010). Understanding Genetics – growth and Reproduction. Retrieved from http://www. libraryindex. com/pages/2222/Understanding-Genetics-GROWTH-REPRODUCTION. html
