Meiosis Study Guide

Stages, Diagrams, and Quiz

• Overview
  
• Stages of Meiosis
  
• Meiosis Diagrams
  
• Glossary of Terms
  
• Quiz

Overview of Meiosis

Meiosis is a two-part cell division process in organisms that sexually reproduce. Meiosis produces gametes with one half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell.

In some respects, meiosis is very similar to the process of mitosis, yet it is also fundamentally different.

The two stages of meiosis are meiosis I and meiosis II. At the end of the meiotic process, four daughter cells are produced. Each of the resulting daughter cells has one half of the number of chromosomes as the parent cell.

Before a dividing cell enters meiosis, it undergoes a period of growth called interphase.

During interphase the cell increases in mass, synthesizes DNA and proteins, and duplicates its chromosomes in preparation for cell division.

Meiosis I

Meiosis I encompasses four stages:

• Prophase I
  
• Metaphase I
  
• Anaphase I
  
• Telophase I
  

In most cases, at the end of meiosis I, two daughter cells are produced.

Meiosis II

Meiosis II encompasses four stages:

• Prophase II
  
• Metaphase II
  
• Anaphase II
  
• Telophase II
  

At the end of meiosis II, four daughter cells are produced. Each of these resulting daughter cells is haploid.

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