Complete the following table by ticking the correct box (7 marks)

Mitosis

Meiosis

Both mitosis and

meiosis

Results in 4 daughter
cells
Daughter cells are
identical to parent cell
Happens in mammals
Results in gametes
Happens in ovaries
Is a type of cell division
Is needed for growth
and repair

In humans sperm cells and skin cells are made by different types of cell division.
Sperm cells have a different number of chromosomes to skin cells.
Compare the types of cell division that make sperm cells and skin cells in order to explain why it is
important for sperm cells to be formed by a different type of cell division.
The quality of written communication will be assessed in your answer.
THIS QUESTION IS WORTH 6 MARKS

Answer:
In humans, sperm cells and skin cells are made by different types of cell division.
Skin cells are somatic cells which mean that they are made by the cell division mitosis. In mitosis,
there are only two daughter cells, which are identical to the parent cell with 46 chromosomes in each
cell. This is because somatic cells are used for growth and repair. These daughter cells are diploid
cells.
On the other hand a sperm is a gamete which means that it is produced through the cell division
meiosis. In meiosis, four daughter cells are produced. The daughter cells are not identical to the
parent cell but rather they have half the chromosomes (23 chromosomes). This makes gametes
haploid cells.
The reason gametes are haploid rather than diploid and have a different cell division is because when
a sperm fertilises an egg, the nuclei will fuse to complete the 46 chromosomes.