Nuclei form at opposite poles of the cell. Cytokinesis occurs producing four haploid daughter cells. Meiosis is a reduction division. Cells produced by mitosis have the same number of chromosomes as the original cell, whereas cells produced by meiosis have half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell. Meiosis creates genetic variation.
Mitosis produces two daughter cells genetically identical to the parent cell and to each other.
Meiosis produces four daughter cells genetically different from the parent cell and from each other. Meiosis is two successive nuclear divisions. Mitosis, on the other hand, is characterized by just one nuclear division. The arrangement of maternal and paternal homologues is independent of other tetrads. 8 million possible combinations.