Meiosis is similar to mitosis, but differs
in that the diploid cell involved undergoes a reductive cell division,
resulting in the formation of haploid daughter cells. In addition, this
process is broken into two divisions, meiosis I and meiosis II. Meiosis I
begins with prophase I, when a cell’s DNA condenses into chromosomes. The
centrioles migrate to opposite poles of the cell during late prophase I,
forming the spindle apparatus. By metaphase I, the nuclear membrane has
disappeared and the homologous chromosomes pair off, aligning along a single
central plane. Anaphase I commences as the
chromosome pairs separate and move to opposite poles of the cell. Two
daughter cells form during telophase I, each
containing one chromosome from each pair of homologs. Meiosis II then begins.
During prophase II, the centrioles once again migrate to opposite poles of
the cell to form a spindle. Metaphase II occurs as the chromosomes align
along the center of each cell, and anaphase II commences with the migration
of sister chromatids towards opposite poles. Finally, four haploid gametes
are formed as cytokinesis occurs during telophase II.
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