MEIOSIS REVIEW
1. What is the purpose of Meiosis?
Therefore the purpose of meiosis is to produce gametes, the sperm and eggs, with half
of the genetic complement of the parent cells.
2. What do “synapsis”, “Tetrad”, and “bivalent” mean?
Synapsis. During prophase I of meiosis, homologous chromosomes become
connected in a process known as synapsis. The connected homologues are
known as a bivalent (bi = two chromosomes) or a tetrad (tetra = four
chromatids) The chromosomes are connected by a protein-RNA complex called
the synaptonemal complex.
3. Illustrate a cell that has a diploid number of six going through the first four stages of
Meiosis, and label them.
4. List three differences between Meiosis and Mitosis
A.Mitosis consists of one stage whereas meiosis consists of two stages.
B.Mitosis produces diploid cells (46 chromosomes) whereas meiosis produces haploid
cells (23 chromosomes).
C.Mitosis produces two identical daughter cells whereas meiosis produces four
genetically different daughter cells.
5. What is “crossing over”, and why is it important?
Crossing over is a cellular process that happens during meiosis when chromosomes of
the same type are lined up. When two chromosomes — one from the mother and one
from the father — line up, parts of the chromosome can be switched. The two
chromosomes contain the same genes, but may have different forms of the genes.
6. What are the importances of “Independent Assortment” , “Random Assortment”, and
“Random Fertilization”?
Independent assortment refers to the random assortment of chromosomes and sister chromatids of
these chromosomes into gametes relative to one another. This allow for any possible combination
of these chromosomes to be seen in a gamete, thus creating a vast array of genetic combinations
that can be seen.