BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Mitosis and meiosis

Science
Mitosis and meiosis
There are two types of cell division. Mitosis is used for growth and repair and produces diploid cells identical to each other and the parent cell. Meiosis is used for sexual reproduction and produces haploid cells different to each other and the parent cell.

Growth
Humans are made of millions of cells. This has a number of benefits:

Cells can be specialised to do particular tasks Groups of cells can function as organs making a more efficient but complex organism The organism can grow very large Cell division
New cells are needed throughout life. These are for growth, to replace damaged cells and repair worn out tissues. Normal human body cells are diploid they have two of each chromosome. When new cells are made, these 46 chromosomes (in other organisms the number is different) are copied exactly in a process called mitosis.

Mitosis
Mitosis is the type of cell division used for growth, repair and asexual reproduction. Mitosis occurs wherever new cells are needed. It produces two cells that are identical to each other, and the parent cell. In mitosis each chromosome is copied exactly. The new chromosomes are moved to opposite sides of the cell, before the cell divides leaving one complete set of 46 chromosomes in each of the two new cells.

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BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Mitosis and meiosis

Constant cell division ensures that cells never become too large. The larger the cell becomes, the smaller its surface-area-tovolume ratio. Objects with this small ratio find it difficult to maintain exchange of materials with their environment. Large cells could run out of oxygen, and accumulate too much waste, such as carbon dioxide. For this reason it is more efficient for large organisms to be multicellular, rather than single-celled.

Formation of sex cells

Fertilisation
In humans all reproduction is sexual . It involves joining together haploid gamete cells from each parent with half the normal number of chromosomes to make a new cell containing both parents' genetic material. This is a diploid zygote. The cells from each parent that combine to form the zygote are called gametes . In humans, the male gamete is called sperm ,

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BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Mitosis and meiosis

and the female gamete is called an egg. When the gametes join they form a cell called a zygote . Human sperm and eggs contain 23 chromosomes. Human zygotes contain 46 chromosomes. The type of cell division that produces gametes with half the normal chromosome number is called meiosis. It is used to produce cells for repair and asexual reproduction. Gametes contain different genetic information to each other and to the parent cell. Meiosis is responsible for causing genetic variation .

Process of fertilisation

These are helpful terms to learn:

Gamete cell with half the normal number of chromosomes, and only used for sexual reproduction Zygote cell formed when two gametes combine Fertilisation term to describe the joining of two gametes Haploid having half the normal number of chromosomes Diploid having the normal number of chromosomes Gametes
All gametes are haploid. They also have other adaptations to increase the chances of fertilisation and successful development

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BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Mitosis and meiosis

of the embryo. Sperm cells need to move to the egg cell. They have a tail to propel them, and many mitochondria to provide energy. The front of the sperm contains enzymes to digest the egg membrane. The egg contains a large food store to support the developing zygote until it can feed from the placenta.

Meiosis
Meiosis is a different kind of cell division. It is used to produce male and female gametes . A human body cell contains 46 chromosomes arranged in 23 pairs . The gametes are sperm or eggs , and only contain half as many chromosomes (23). This is why meiosis is sometimes called reduction division.

At fertilisation , the nuclei of the sperm and an egg join to form

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BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Mitosis and meiosis

the zygote . The zygote contains 23 pairs of chromosomes - 23 single chromosomes from the sperm, and 23 single chromosomes from the egg, thereby creating the correct number of 46 chromosomes for all body cells. It also means the zygote contains a complete set of chromosomes from each parent. Now try a Test Bite. Back to Revision Bite

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