What is the difference between meiosis and mitosis?

Meiosis is the process whereby gametes (sex cells), the ova in females and the sperm in males are produced. This occurs when the chromosomes (which there are two sets of in a body cell) are replicated, producing 4 sets of chromosomes. The cell then undergoes division twice producing 4 cells containing 1 set of chromosomes each, half the number of a normal body cell. Where as mitosis is the process whereby normal body cells are produced, but also occurs in asexual reproduction. Like meiosis the cell undergoes a replication step producing 4 sets of chromosomes all together but unlike meiosis division only occurs once. This produces 2 cells containing two sets of chromosomes like the parent cell, so it is identical to the parent cell as it contains exactly the same genetic material.