Mitosis occurs in somatic cells and meiosis occurs in reproductive cells.The basic difference is that mitosis results in the production of two daughter cells that are identical to the parent cell, whereas meiosis results in the production of 4 daughter cells that differ from the parent cell in chromosome number and genetic components. There are also differences in the stages that occur during each process.--dividing cells in mitosis can be either diploid or haploid but in meiosis, the dividing cells can only be diploid--in mitosis, two daughter cells are formed but in meiosis, four daughter cells are formed--mitosis helps in growth and in body repairs but meiosis helps in sexual reproduction ;) and regulation of the number of chromosomes--in mitosis, cytokinesis occurs only once, but in meiosis, cytokinesis may take place once or twice (depending on the type of cell).Meiosis produces haploid cells and mitosis produces diploid cells. In short answerThe whole process of mitosis occurs in 'one step', involving one division, resulting finally in 2 daughter cells. Meiosis comprises 2 divisions in two 'steps' (meiosis I and meiosis II) resulting in 4 daughter cells finally. Meiosis is the process whereas diploid cells divide to produce haploid cells whereas mitosis is the division that retains the ploidy upon completion i.e. if the parent cells are haploid, so will be the daughter cells, or, if the parent cells are diploid, so will be the daughter cells. Cells dividing by mitosis cannot produce genetic variety as both daughter cells will be identical to the parent. However, crossing over/formation of chiasmata occurs during meiosis, shuffling genes and resulting in greater genetic diversity.1) Meiosis occurs in reproductive cells while Mitosis occurs in somatic cells.2) Meiosis goes through the stages of prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase twice while Mitosis only goes through this cycle one time.The difference between them is that mitosis reproduces 2 genetically identical diploid cells, whereas meiosis produces 4 genetically different haploid cells.