Key points
Chromosome forms
Mitosis copies the body; meiosis makes gametes and shuffles variation.
- Chromatin: loose working form. Sister chromatids join at the centromere after replication.
- Homologous chromosomes: maternal and paternal partners of a pair.
- Humans: 46 chromosomes, 23 pairs — 22 autosomes + sex chromosomes.
Process
Mitosis (PMAT)
- Prophase: nuclear membrane fades; spindles form.
- Metaphase: chromosomes line the equator.
- Anaphase: sisters separate to poles.
- Telophase / cytokinesis: two nuclei, then two cells — same chromosome number as the parent.
Key points
Meiosis and why it matters
- Two divisions: chromosome number halves (diploid → haploid gametes).
- Crossing-over in prophase I creates new allele combinations.
- Independent assortment further mixes chromosomes.
- Anthropology use: sex, fertility, chromosomal disease, and the raw material of evolution.
Mitosis
- Growth and repair
- Same chromosome number
- No pairing of homologues as a rule
Meiosis
- Gametes
- Halves the number
- Crossing-over and assortment
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