You're not alone — these two are commonly confused! Here's a simple breakdown: Mitosis: - Purpose: Growth and repair of body cells - Result: 2 identical daughter cells - Same number of chromosomes as the parent cell (46 in humans) - Example: When you heal a cut, your skin cells use mitosis Meiosis: - Purpose: Making sex cells (sperm and eggs) - Result: 4 genetically different cells - Half the number of chromosomes (23 in humans) - This is why children are not identical to their parents Easy memory trick: - Mitosis = Making identical copies (M for Match) - Meiosis = Me and you are different (creates variety) Think of mitosis like a photocopier (exact copies), and meiosis like shuffling a deck of cards (creates new combinations)!