Differentiating mitosis from meiosis, what is the primary outcome of mitosis?

The primary outcome of mitosis is the production of two identical daughter cells. In mitosis, a single parent cell divides to create two daughter cells that have the same genetic material as the parent cell. This process is essential for growth, development, and tissue repair in multicellular organisms, as it allows for the replacement of damaged or dead cells while maintaining the genetic integrity of the organism.

During mitosis, the chromosomes are duplicated and aligned in preparation for separation. Once the chromosomes are replicated, the cell undergoes several phases—prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase—each contributing to the accurate segregation of the duplicated chromosomes into the two daughter cells. By the end of this process, each daughter cell has the same number of chromosomes and the same genetic information as the original parent cell, ensuring consistency across cells.

In contrast, meiosis results in four non-identical daughter cells, each with half the number of chromosomes of the original cell, leading to genetic diversity. Other outcomes, such as producing genetically different cells or remaining as a single diploid cell, do not align with the function of mitosis, which emphasizes maintaining genetic uniformity through clonal reproduction.