Meiosis

 What is meiosis?
 Gametes

 Chromosomes
 Diploid vs. haploid
 Meiosis I
– Recombination
 Meiosis II
 What is Meiosis?
 From a Greek word meaning “lessening”
 Occurs in sexually-reproducing
eukaryotes
– Eukaryotic cells have nucleus, cell
membrane, and chromosomes
 Meiosis is cell division that creates
gametes (sex cells) or spores
 What is Meiosis?
 Gametes are produced in
animals

 Spores are produced in

plants and some algae

 One cell divides into

four daughter cells
 Gametes
 Gametes are sex cells: eggs and sperm
 In sexual reproduction, they combine to
form a zygote (precursor to an individual
offspring)
 Chromosomes
 DNA molecules
 Carry genetic
information coding
for an organism
 Chromosomes
 Humans have 46 chromosomes (23
pairs) in their cells
– 22 pairs are autosomes (not sex
chromosomes)
– One pair is the sex chromosomes (X and Y)
 Males:XY
 Females: XX
 Diploid vs. Haploid
 Diploid: cells with paired chromosomes
(46 total)

 Haploid: Cells with unpaired

chromosome (23 total)
 Diploid vs. Haploid
 Gametes are haploid
 When they combine, they create a
diploid zygote
 Meiosis
 Initial phase
– Interphase
 Two cell divisions
– Meiosis I
– Meiosis II
 Interphase
 DNA in dividing cell nucleus is copied
– Gives two identical sets of
chromosomes
 Interphase
Centrosomes outside nucleus are duplicated
 Centrosomes contain centrioles in animals
 Microtubules branch out from centrosomes
 In plants, the nuclear envelope organizes
microtubules
 Meiosis I
 Four phases
– Prophase I

– Metaphase I

– Anaphase I

– Telophase I and
cytokinesis
 Prophase I
 Chromosomes become condensed
(shorter, thicker, and coiled) and visible
with a microscope
– Chromosomes made up of sister chromatids
joined in an X shape
– The centromere is located in the center
of the X shape
 Prophase I
 Homologous chromosomes
(copies of the same gene from
mother and father) pair, forming
a tetrad (four chromosomes)

 Recombination (crossing-
over) occurs
– Results in further genetic diversity
 Recombination
 Within the tetrad, the arms of the
chromosomes may overlap
– Overlapping points are called chiasmata

 At chiasmata, sections of DNA may be

broken and recombined with overlapping
sections of another chromosome

Chiasma
 Recombination
 This results in new gene combinations
 Recombination can occur up to 25x
in a homologous pair!
 Prophase I
 Nucleolus disappears
– Nucleolus: site of protein and
ribosomal RNA combination
 Meiotic spindle forms
– Made of microtubules and proteins
– Connects centrioles at opposite poles of
cell
 Nuclear envelope disappears
 Metaphase I
 Homologous
chromosome pairs line
up at center of cell
– Metaphase plate
 Meiotic spindle fibers
attach chromosomes
– Fibers from one pole
attach to nearest
chromosome of pair
 Anaphase I
 Two chromosomes of each tetrad are
pulled to opposite poles of cell by
spindle
 Sister chromatids are still attached at
centromeres
 Telophase I
 Chromosome pair at the poles
– Haploid set at each pole
 Nuclear envelope forms around each
set
 Meiotic spindle disappears
 Cytokinesis
 In animal cells:
– Cleavage furrow formed
– Cell is pinched into two cells
– Each new cell has haploid set of
chromosomes
 Meiosis II
 Four phases
– Prophase II
– Metaphase II
– Anaphase II
– Telophase II and cytokinesis
 All phases occur in both new cells
 Prophase II
 Centrioles duplicate
– Pair of centrioles separates
– Daughter centriole forms perpendicular to
each single centriole
– Centriole pairs separate into
centrosomes
Daughter centrioles
 Prophase II
 Nuclear envelope disappears
 Meiotic spindle fibers form

Spindle Fibers
 Metaphase II
 Chromosomes (single, not homologous
pairs) line up on metaphase plate
 Microtubules from each pole attach to
centromeres of chromosomes
– Kinetochores (proteins in each sister chromatid
that make up centromeres) face opposite poles
– Microtubules attach to kinetochores
 Anaphase II
 Centromeres separate
 Chromatids pulled to opposite poles
 Separated chromatids now considered
chromosomes
 Telophase II & Cytokinesis
 Nuclear envelope forms around each
set of chromosomes
 Cytokinesis occurs
 Four daughter cells are produced