Mitosis and meiosis are two types of cell division. Mitosis is the process where one cell divides into two identical daughter cells, maintaining the original chromosome number. It is used for growth, tissue repair, and asexual reproduction. Meiosis involves two cell divisions that result in four haploid cells, each with half the number of chromosomes as the original parent cell. Meiosis occurs in the formation of gametes and allows for genetic diversity through independent assortment and recombination of parental chromosomes.