Meiosis is killing me… can someone save my grade?
Guys I’m dying here. I have a test in 3 days and I still don’t get the difference between meiosis I and II phases. Can someone list what happens step by step in simple sentences? Especially confused about what separates when. Please help!
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This link has nice pictures and explanations of all the phases of meiosis. In short: DNA replicates before meiosis starts (so 4c 2n). Meiosis I — homologous chromosomes pair, cross over, line up in pairs (metaphase I), then whole chromosomes (each with 2 chromatids) go to opposite poles (anaphase I). After division → 2 cells with n chromosomes but 2c each. Meiosis II — no replication again. Chromosomes (still 2 chromatids) line up singly (metaphase II), sister chromatids separate (anaphase II), and you end with 4 cells each having n chromosomes and 1c. That’s how you get haploid gametes. Main goals: halve chromosome number + create new gene combinations. Very important for keeping chromosome number stable across generations.