Differentiate between cell division and cell maturation.

Cell division is a process whereby a parent cell divides into two or more daughter cells. Cell division is of two types a vegetative division, where the daughter cell produced is genetically identical to the parent cell this cell division is known as mitosis. The other one is reductive cell division, where the number of chromosomes become reduced by half to produce haploid gametes this process of cell division is also known as meiosis.

Cell maturation is observed during the meiosis cell division where, gametes formed by maturation. This includes the reduction of chromosomes in a germ cell from the diploid number to the haploid number of gametes. For example, lymphocytic cells are found in lymph. These are of three main types :

• B-lymphocytes, matures in the bone marrow and express membrane bound antibody. 
• T-lymphocytes, arise in the bone marrow. Unlike B-lymphocytes, which mature within the bone marrow, T-cells migrate to the thymus gland for maturation.
• NK cells are class of lymphocytes that are distinct from cytotoxic T-cells. These cells mature in the bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen and thymus.