Meiosis - the process by which a diploid cell (2n) cell produces haploid (n) gametes or sex cells.

(sperm or egg) - this occurs only in the sex organs of most living things spermatogenesis = sperm production oogenesis = egg production -in plants = pollen (microspores), eggs (megaspores) diploid - two sets of chromosomes (2n) - body cells (somatic) are diploid cells - human cells have 46 chromosomes or 2 sets (2n) of 23 chromosomes homologous chromosomes (homologues) - two chromosomes similar in shape and size - carry the same genetic information - inherit one from each parent haploid - a single set of chromosomes (n) - sperm or egg are haploid cells - human sex cells have 23 chromosomes zygote - the cell that results when an egg and a sperm unite (fertilization)

Meiosis Terminology synapsis - the paring of homologous chromosomes - each homologous chromosome has a duplicate - occurs in prophase I of meiosis bivalent - a pair of chromosomes that have similar genetic information - 2 sets of information in a pair tetrad - two homologous chromosomes (and their duplicates form a loose connection of 4 chromatids crossing over - the process where the ends of chromosomes (adjacent) become twisted or tangled together and break apart - the ends of the homologous chromosomes may switch or exchange places - explains why all offspring will be different (except identical twins) non-disjunction - during meiosis one chromosome does not get pulled to the proper end of the cell - one cell may get too many chromosomes and others too few