What is the difference between mitosis and meiosis?

Mitosis and meiosis are fundamental processes of cell division, each serving distinct biological purposes. The correct answer highlights that mitosis occurs in somatic cells, which are the body cells responsible for growth, repair, and maintenance, while meiosis occurs in gametes, the reproductive cells (sperm and egg) involved in sexual reproduction.

Meiosis is characterized by two rounds of division and results in four genetically diverse haploid cells, which is crucial for maintaining genetic diversity during fertilization. In contrast, mitosis involves a single round of division that produces two genetically identical diploid cells, effectively maintaining the chromosome number of the original cell. The significance of this distinction is paramount in the context of organismal development and reproduction, where proper gamete formation through meiosis ensures variability and adaptation.

The other choices do not accurately describe the processes: mitosis does not produce genetically diverse cells, but rather identical ones; meiosis is not solely a process of growth but is critical for sexual reproduction; and the number of cells produced in mitosis is two, with meiosis resulting in four, which directly contradicts the description in one of the choices.