How can a human cell in prophase of mitosis be distinguished from human cell in prophase l of meiosis?

By the presence of twice as many chromosomes in the meiotic cell. There are many other differences between the prophases in mitosis and meiosis. Prophase in mitosis is much shorter Prophase I in meiosis. The longer length of Prophase I is that the phase is divided into stages, and those stages are zygotene, leptotene, pachytene, diplotene, and diakinesis.

Another difference is that in Prophase I, homologous chromosomes are paired, while none are paired in the Prophase of mitosis. Lastly, crossing over and recombination occurs in Prophase I, but doesn't in Prophase of mitosis.