Question

Given below is the representation of a certain event at a particular stage of a type of cell division. Which is this stage?

• A. Both prophase and metaphase of mitosis
• B. Prophase – II
• C. Prophase – I
• D. Prophase of mitosis

Answer 1

The correct option is C Prophase – I

Cell division happens when a parent cell divides into two or more cells called daughter cells.
Cell division is of two types : Mitosis and Meiosis

Meiosis is the division of a germ cell into four sex cells (e.g. egg or sperm), each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell.

It is a special type of cell division that occurs in Sexually Reproducing organisms and thus gametes (sex cells) are produced. It consists two successive cell division that resembles like mitosis but chromosomes are duplicated only once. Thus, gametes have half the number of chromosomes normally found in the body cells. Two sub stages – meiosis I and meiosis II occur.

• Meiosis I: Can be broken down into four sub stages: Prophase I, Metaphase I, Anaphase I and Telophase I.

• Meiosis II: Can be broken down into four substages: Prophase II, Metaphase II, Anaphase II and Telophase II.

Prophase - I - It is the first phase where genetic material detaches itself from the parent nucleus into two daughter cells.
The given figure represents the prophase - I stage during the meiosis I of cell division. The given figure shows crossing over, which occurs during pachytene stage of Prophase I.