Arizona State University (ASU) BIO181 General Biology I Exam 1 Practice

The two major types of cell division are mitosis and meiosis. Mitosis is the process by which a single cell divides to produce two genetically identical daughter cells, and it is crucial for growth, repair, and asexual reproduction in multicellular organisms. During mitosis, the cell's genetic material is replicated and evenly distributed to ensure that each daughter cell receives the same genetic information.

Meiosis, on the other hand, is a specialized form of cell division that occurs only in the production of gametes (sperm and eggs) in sexually reproducing organisms. This process reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in four non-identical daughter cells, each with half the genetic material of the original cell. This reduction is essential for maintaining the correct chromosome number across generations during sexual reproduction.

In contrast, options that mention binary fission, budding, or fragmentation refer to various methods of asexual reproduction and cellular division that do not encompass the fundamental types of cell division described by scientific consensus. Binary fission is primarily associated with prokaryotes, while budding and fragmentation are specific processes in certain organisms but are not recognized as major types of cell division like mitosis and meiosis are.