Compare and contrast what happens in mitosis and meiosis and discuss the importance of each process to a living organism.

Meiosis and mitosis describes the process by which cells divide, 
either by asexual or sexual reproduction to produce a new organism. 
Meiosis is a form of cell division that produces gametes in humans 
these are egg cells and sperms, each with reduced or halved number of 
chromosomes. The number of chromosomes is restored when two gametes 
fuse together to form a zygote. A cell with two copies of each 
chromosome is called diploid cell and a cell with one copy of each 
chromosome is called a haploid cell. Meioses produces haploid daughter 
cells that are genetically different from each other and from the 
parent cell. However, mitosis is a form of cell division that produces 
daughter cells identical to the parent during repair or growth. Each 
cell contains the same genetic code as the parent cell, it is able to 
do this because it has copied it’s own chromosomes prior to cell 
division. Meiosis consists of two divisions whilst mitosis is followed 
in one division; both these processes involve the stages of 
interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. 

Meiosis allows cell variation and genetic differences between each 
cell whereas mitosis is an exact replication of each cell. There are 
three main ways meiosis produces genetic variation, this through 
independent assortment, crossing over and random fertilization.

Why Is Mitosis And Meiosis Important To A Living Organism

The cell is the basic unit of all life. All living things-- tigers, trees, elephants, and men-- are made up of cells. A cell is alive-- as alive as you are. It breathes, takes in food, and gets rid of waste. It grows and reproduces, or creates one of its own kind.

Most cells reproduce by dividing, so that there are two cells where there once was one.Every living thing is made up of one or more cells, and each of these cells was produced by an already existing cell.