Mitosis

Meiosis

Event

Prophase

Chromomeres are not conspicuous.

Prophase is of shorter duration.

Prophase is simpler and is hardly distinguishable into substages.

Each chromosome has two distinct chromatids.

No bouquet stage is recorded.

Chiasmata are absent.

Chromomeres are quite conspicuous.

Prophase-I is of longer duration while prophase-ll is very brief.

Prophase-I is complicated and is divisible into five substages, Prophase-II is, however, very simple.

Chromosomes of prophase-I do not show distinct chromatids.

Chromosomes of animals and some plants show convergence towards one side during early prophase-I. It is known as bouquet stage.

Chiasmata or visible connections between homologous chromosomes of bivalents are observed during diplotene, diakinesis (prophase-I) and metaphase-I.

Metaphase

Centromeres produce a single metaphasic plate.

Chromosomes are independent and do not show connections.

Only the centromeres lie at the equator. The limbs of chromosomes are oriented in various direction.

A centromere is connected with both the spindle poles.

Two chrornatics of a chromosome are genetically similar.

A double metaphasic plate is formed by centromeres in metaphase-I but only one in metaphase-II.

Homologous chromosomes are interconnected. Hence, the chromosomes Occur in pairs or bivalents in metaphase-I. They are however, free in metaphase-ll,

Limbs of the chromosomes mostly lie at the equator while the centromeres project towards the poles in metaphase-I.

A centromereis connected to one spindle pole in metaphase-I, but both in metaphase-II.

The two chromatids of a chromosomeare often genetically different due to crossing over.

Anaphase

A centromere splits length-wise to form two centromeres in the beginning of anaphase.

Anaphasic chromosomes are single stranded.

Similar chromosomes move toward  the opposite poles in anaphase. 

Centromeres do not divide during anaphase-I but do so in anaphase-II.

Chromosomes are double-stranded in anaphase-I, but single stranded in anaphase-II

Dissimilar chromosomes move toward the opposite poles both in anaphase-I and anaphase-II.

Telophase

Telophase is longer and produces interphase nuclei. 

Telophase-I is shorter and nuclei now enter the interphase.

Cytokinesis

Cytokinesis follows every mitosis. It produces two new cells. 

Cytokinesis often does not occur after first or reductional division. It is then simultaneous after second division resulting in four new cells.