Question

What is meiosis and where does it happen?

Answer 1

Meiosis:

1. Meiosis is a cell division in which the parent cell divides to produce four daughter cells, each containing half the number of chromosomes.
2. It is also known as the reductional division.
3. It is crucial for reproduction because meiosis is the sole way for germ cells to form sperm or eggs.

Role of meiosis in sexual reproduction:

1. In sexually reproducing organisms, meiosis ensures the generation of the haploid phase, whereas fertilization restores the diploid phase.
2. Meiosis is a process that occurs during gametogenesis in both plants and animals which results in the production of haploid gametes.

Key features of meiosis:

1. Meiosis includes two nuclear and cell division cycles named meiosis I and meiosis II, but only one DNA replication cycle.
2. Meiosis I begins after the parental chromosomes have replicated to generate identical sister chromatids during the S phase.
3. Meiosis entails the pairing and recombination of homologous chromosomes.
4. After the completion of meiosis II, four haploid cells are formed.