Writing Assignment #3 Meiosis is the form of cell division that eventually turns one diploid cell into four haploid cells. A haploid cell is a cell that has a single copy of each chromosome and a diploid has two copies. Meiosis consists of Meiosis I and Meiosis II which both consist of the four phases Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, and Telophase. When entering the stages of Meiosis chromosomes first go into the phase of Prophase I with 46 chromosomes. In Prophase I condensing, synapsis (when two of homologous chromosomes line up together), and the crossing over of chromosomes occur. Synapsis creates tetrads which consist four chromatids. Crossing over is the recombination of genetic information between two homologous chromosomes. In between Prophase and Metaphase is …show more content…
In Metaphase I, tetrads line up at the equator and microtubules attach to kinetochore proteins of each homologous pair of chromosomes. Anaphase I is when the homologous chromosomes separate and move to opposite poles of the cell. In Telophase I the homologous chromosomes move to opposite poles with the help of spindle fibers. Once they move, the chromosomes are then haploid. Cytokinesis is then when the two daughter cells are produced each containing 23 chromosomes. Afterwards, Meiosis II then begins. Prophase II is very similar to Prophase I, however, in Prophase II crossing over does not occur. In Metaphase II chromosomes line up at the equator once again. (Two sister chromatids connected by a centromere, form a chromosome.) In Anaphase II the chromosomes separated at the centromere and the sister chromatids move to opposite cell poles. The final step of Meiosis is Telophase II. The cells divide and four haploids each with 23 chromosomes form. Mendel’s Law of Segregation states that everyone contains a pair of alleles which separate during cell division. The Law of Independent Assortment states that different kinds of genes for separate traits are passed from parents to