Meiosis

 Occurs in two stages, meiosis I and meiosis II

 Reproductive cell division that occur in gonad (ovaries and testes)
 Produces gametes in which number of chromosome reduced by half
 Gametes only contain one set of 23 chromosomes (haploid cell)
 Fertilization restores the diploid number of chromosomes

Meiosis I
Prophase I
Prophase I is further divided into five stages (phases):
Leptotene
 the duplicated paired chromosome homologs condense.
Zygotene
 homologous chromosomes become closely associated (synapsis) to form pairs of
chromosomes consisting of four chromatids (tetrads).
 the synaptonemal complex begins to form between the two sets of sister chromatids in each
bivalent (the duplicated chromosome paired with its homologous duplicated chromosome).
Pachytene
 crossing over between pairs of homologous chromosomes to form chiasmata (form between
two nonsister chromatids at points where they have crossed over)
 synaptonemal complex is complete and can be stable for some time.
 Autosomal non-sister chromatids of homologous chromosomes can now extensively
exchange segments in regions of homology.
 Only small regions of non-paired sex chromosomes interact
Diplotene
 homologous chromosomes begin to separate but remain attached by chiasmata.
 synaptonemal complex degrades and the chromosomes separate from one another a small
amount giving this appearance.
 It is possible that some chromosome uncoiling may also occur allowing some gene
transcription.
Diakinesis
 homologous chromosomes continue to separate, and chiasmata move to the ends of the
chromosomes.
 prophase I ends and chromosomes now recondense, transcription stops and the transition to
metaphase occurs.
Metaphase I
 the tetrads formed by the homologous pairs of chromosomes line up along the metaphase
plate of the cell, with homologous chromosomes side by side
Anaphase I
 the members of each homologous pair of chromosomes separate as they are pulled to
opposite poles of the cell by the microtubules attached to the centromeres. The paired
chromatids, held by a centromere, remain together
Telophase I
 Nuclear envelopes and nucleoli reappear; chromosomes resume chromatin form; mitotic
spindle disappears.
 resulting cell contains the haploid number
Cytokinesis
 Cytoplasmic division; contractile ring forms cleavage furrow around center of cell, dividing
cytoplasm into separate and equal portions.

Meiosis II
The second stage of meiosis, meiosis II, also consists of four phases: prophase II, metaphase II,
anaphase II, and telophase II. These phases are similar to those that occur during mitosis; the
centromeres split, and the sister chromatids separate and move toward opposite poles of the cell. In
summary, meiosis I begins with a diploid starting cell and ends with two cells, each with the haploid
number of chromosomes. During meiosis II, each of the two haploid cells formed during meiosis I
divides; the net result is four haploid gametes that are genetically different from the original diploid
starting cell.