Meiosis
Meiosis is referred to as reduction division because meiosis results in haploid cells called gametes (sex cells).
Male and female gametes fuse duringfertilization (syngamy) to form a zygote.
The zygote divides by mitosis to form an embryo.
Human embryo develops into a a fetus.
• Meiosis may be thought of as a “double mitosis.”
• Characteristics of meiotic phases are similar to the characteristics of mitotic phases.
• If you know what happens during mitosis, then you know most of what happens during meiosis (with a few differences).
Meiosis occurs in two parts: Meiosis I and then Meiosis II.
Meiosis I –(Starts with a diploid cell-2N) Phases: prophase I, metaphase I, anaphase I,
and telophase I, then cytokinesis which results in two haploid cells.
PROPHASE I• During Prophase I pairs of homologous
chromosomes called tetrads align themselves closely and exchanges pieces.
• When chromosomes of the tetrad are near enough next to each other, it is called synapsis.
• During Prophase I, as chromosomes of a tetrad are in synapsis, and exchange of genes can occur.
• This exchanges of genetic material is called “crossing-over.”
• The point at which crossing-over occurs is referred to as a chiasmata
What is the advantage of crossing-over?
Crossing-over increases genetic variety in organisms, by “shuffling” the genes for different combinations.
• Meiosis I then proceeds through metaphase I, and then anaphase I.
• All phases are similar to the mitotic phases. (spindle formation, tetrads move toward center, tetrads line-up along the center, tetrads separate and chromosomes move to opposite poles)
• Cytokinesis occurs and the 2N cell has now become 2 haploid daughter cells.
Two Haploid cells result
These cells go directly into prophase II --- the first phase of Meiosis II.
Meiosis I leads to Meiosis II• Meiosis I leads directly to Meiosis II, with no interphase
in between.• During meiosis II phases are similar to mitosis phases:
(chromatid pairs move toward the center, sister chromatids separate and then cytokinesis)
Finally – 4 haploid cells result
Meiosis
Meiosis
FAST MEIOSIS
If the gametes are to be male, then 4 individual sperm cells
form.
The process of forming sperm cells is called spermato-genesis
If the gametes are to be female, then the result is 1 egg cell and 3 polar bodies.
The process of producing
the egg cell is called oogenesis.
The egg cell gets most of the
cytoplasm and the much smaller polar bodies disintegrate.
Egg cell – OvumEgg cells - Ova
Relative Sizes of Gametes