Cells divide and reproduce in two ways: mitosis and meiosis.Mitosisis a process of cell division that results in two genetically identical daughter cells developing from a single parent cell.Meiosis, on the other hand, is the division of agerm cellinvolving two fissions of the nucleus and giving rise to fourgametes, or sex cells, each possessing half the number ofchromosomesof the original cell.
Mitosis is used by single-celled organisms to reproduce; it is also used for the organic growth of tissues, fibers, and membranes. Meiosis is found in sexual reproduction of organisms. The male and female sex cells (i.e., egg and sperm) are the end result of meiosis; they combine to create new, genetically different offspring.