what is the major difference between mitosis and meiosis?
This type of cell division results in the production of gametes (eggs or sperm). Meiosis is much more complex than mitosis. Whereas mitosis involves the duplication and subsequent division of chromosomes, meiosis involves two divisions of genetic material. As is the case in mitosis, in meiosis the cell duplicates its chromosome number prior to beginning cellular division. Then nuclear division, the sorting out of the genetic material, begins, and unfolds over the course of 2 cellular divisions that result in 4 gametes.