Meiosis Pipe Cleaner Lab
Objective: To model the various stages of Meiosis using two different colors of pipe cleaners.
Materials:
- 2 strands of different color pipe cleaner (cut to 2 different lengths)
- Chalk
- Colored pencils
- 2 bead colors
- 2 whiteboards
- Whiteboard marker
1) Answer Interphase Pre-Questions!
2) Obtain all materials listed above..
3) Follow Interphase Instructions: Now you are going to help your cell go through the S phase of Interphase
and you are going to replicate or copy the chromosomes!!!!
o Obtain two strands of two different colored pipe cleaners. You will find these already prepared in a bag.
(2 long strands of each color & 2 short strands of each color)
o Link 2 of the long strands of the same color together by twisting the pipe cleaners together (the twist should
represent the CENTROMERE)
o Repeat for small strands of all colors.
o Once completed with this step you should have two large double chromosomes, and two small double
chromosomes.
o Now add a bead to the bottom right leg of your chromosomes in the same color (X’s) and add a bead to the
bottom right leg of your other chromosomes in that chromosome’s color (X’s)
DNA (gene)
4) Answer Meiosis 1 Pre-Questions.
5) Meiosis 1 Instructions: Draw one large cell with your whiteboard marker and place your chromosomes
inside of the cell.
You are now in Prophase 1.
6) First you need to make sure that your homologous chromosomes have found one another and are placed
next to one another in the cell (but not lined up in the middle yet!)
7) Next you need to demonstrate crossing over. Remove the small blue bead from the bottom of the large blue
chromosome and remove the small black bead from the bottom of the large black chromosome. Then place
the blue bead on the black chromosome and the black bead on the blue chromosome. (Repeat for
small chromosomes!)
8) Label your picture on the whiteboard.
ROMOSOMES, CENTROMERES, TELL ME WHICH COLOR PIPE
CLEANER IS MATERNAL AND WHICH IS PATERNAL
9) Answer question and have the teacher sign your sheet next to Prophase 1 TEACHER CHECK.
You are now in Metaphase 1.
10) Line up the homologous chromosomes in the center of the cell.
11) Take your whiteboard marker and draw spindle fibers from your centrioles to the centromeres of each
homologous pair of chromosomes.
12) Label your picture on the whiteboard.
13) Answer question and have teacher sign next to Metaphase 1 TEACHER CHECK.
You are now in Anaphase 1.
14) Pull one homologous chromosome to one side of the cell and the other homologous chromosome to the
other side of the cell.
15) Repeat for the other set of homologous chromosomes.
16) Answer question and have teacher sign next to Anaphase 1 TEACHER CHECK.
You are now in Telophase 1 and Cytokinesis.
17) Take your whiteboard marker and draw two new daughter cells.
18) You should have two chromosomes in one cell and two chromosomes in the other cell. (The chromosomes
in each daughter cell should be made of different sizes of pipe cleaners!!)
19) Answer question and have teacher sign next to Telophase 1 & Cytokinesis TEACHER CHECK.
20) Answer Meiosis 1 Post-Questions:
MEIOSIS 2
21) Answer Meiosis 2 Pre-Questions:
You are now in Prophase 2.
22) Label your picture on the whiteboard:
23) Answer question and have teacher sign next to Prophase 2 TEACHER CHECK.
You are now in Metaphase 2.
24) Line up the sister chromatids in the center of both daughter cells.
25) Label your picture on the whiteboard:
26) Answer question and have teacher sign next to Metaphase 2 TEACHER CHECK.
You are now in Anaphase 2.
27) Pull the sister chromatids apart (breaking the bond made by untwisting the pipe cleaners) and show that
the sister chromatids moved to opposite sides of the cell.
28) Answer question and have teacher sign next to Anaphase 2 TEACHER CHECK.
You are now in Telophase 2 and Cytokinesis.
29) Draw four new daughter cells on your whiteboards (2 cells per whiteboard).
30) Place the correct number of chromosomes in the daughter cells.
31) ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE LAB CLEAN UP!!!!
PLEASE PUT ALL MATERIALS BACK INTO THEIR PLASTIC BAGS!!!!
32) Turn in your worksheet to the period box. Make sure your name is on it!
33) Answer Post-lab questions for homework.