An example of this might be eukaryotic human skin cells and or prokaryotic bacteria; they replicate themselves exactly but not sexually. Eukaryotic cells are different that the prokaryotic cells however because they contain much more DNA and their reproduction process is more complicated. Eukaryotic cells also reproduce sexually through Meiosis in more developed (higher on the evolutionary scale) plants and animals. During, the sexual type of cell division called Meiosis special cells called gametes (eggs and sperm) come together to create a finished product called a zygote (fetus). (Solomon et al 2002). .
The main differences between Meiosis and Mitosis is that one is a form of replication without sexual contact and the other is a blending of chromosomes through the sexual process. When a cell divides by Mitosis, it makes an exact copy of its DNA and transfers this to a daughter cell, sort of like cloning. There are individual steps during the process of Mitosis called interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. It is asexual reproduction where the parent cell clones itself or makes a copy of itself in the daughter cell. Meiosis, however is a different process of replication where two sex cells that are called gametes come together to form a zygote. In meiosis, there are two cell divisions, Meiosis I and Meiosis II. During the first cell division, the same stages occur that occur in Mitosis, but the new cells have half of the amount of DNA needed by a cell. The cell does a second division soon after the first, which divides the number of chromosomes in the cell in half. When a cell has half the number of chromosomes it is called a haploid cell. Haploid means half the regular number and diploid is the opposite meaning two halves. Normal cells are considered to be diploid cells and the merging of the haploid cells, thus sexual reproduction, creates them. (Solomon et al 2002).