Question

What happens to homologous chromosomes in the meiotic prophase?

Answer 1

Meiosis:

1. Meiosis is a kind of cell division that produces four daughter cells, each containing half of the parent cell's chromosomes.

During meiotic prophase:

1. During meiotic prophase, homologous chromosomes form bivalents (or tetrads), and genetic material crosses between non-sister chromatids.
2. Homologous chromosomes—each recognised by a sister-chromatid pair—become joined together in the meiotic prophase in preparation for segregation in the first meiotic division.
3. Synapsis begins with the formation of a synaptonemal complex between homologous chromosomes.
4. Genetic material crosses between non-sister chromatids.
5. The synaptonemal complex vanishes after the conclusion of synapsis, while homologous pairs remain linked at the chiasmata.
6. These connections are often based on homologous recombination, in which complementary DNA sections on the two homologs interact with each other.