Mitosis and meiosis

• Mitosis


  Cell division that enables an organism to grow, and to replace and repair cells
• Mitosis


  • The number of chromosomes remains constant
  • The daughter cells are genetically identical to the mother cell
• Meiosis


  The form of cell division that produces sex cells (gametes)
• Meiosis


  • The number of chromosomes is halved
  • The daughter cells are not genetically identical
• Uncontrolled mitosis


  Can result in cancer
• Mature tissues


  The cells have usually lost the ability to differentiate into different forms
• Stem cells


  Cells capable of differentiating into different forms of cell, found in both plants and animals
• Human stem cells


  Have the potential to replace damaged tissue and could be the basis of treatment for a variety of diseases and conditions
• Sources of human stem cells

  • Embryos
  • Adult tissues
• A skin cell from a cow contains 60 chromosomes. It divides to produce new skin cells.