# Describe the process of meiosis, including how it differs from mitosis in terms of the cells produced.

> AQA A-Level Biology (7402) — 3.4.3 Mutation and Meiosis · Describe · 5 marks

> Meiosis is a type of cell division that occurs in the reproductive organs to produce gametes. It is different from mitosis in several important ways.

## Mark scheme (5 marks)

1. Meiosis involves two divisions (meiosis I and meiosis II) / the cell divides twice
2. Meiosis produces four daughter cells / gametes
3. The daughter cells produced by meiosis are haploid / contain half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell
4. Mitosis produces two daughter cells that are diploid / contain the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell
5. The four daughter cells produced by meiosis are genetically different from each other / not identical to the parent cell

## Key terms

- [meiosis](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/meiosis)
- [mitosis](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/mitosis)

## Related

- [Revision notes for AQA A-Level Biology (7402)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Describe" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
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Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/describe-the-process-of-meiosis-including-770c59a7) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.