Meiosis
By Alaysia Nelson
What is meiosis?
Meiosis is the production of sperm and egg cells (gamete or sex cells). These cells have to get divided twice in order to divide the number of chromosomes in by two. The cells give the offspring genetic information which is a form of sexual reproduction.
Why is meiosis important?
It makes sure that all organisms produced by sexual reproduction contain the correct number of chromosomes.
What are the four stages of meiosis?
There are four main stages of meiosis and they are prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase.
Phases of Meiosis
First phase: Prophase
The chromosomes become visible as paired chromatin and the nuclear envelope disappears.
Second phase: Metaphase
The chromosomes become attached to the spindle fibers.
Third phase: Anaphase
The chromosomes move away from one another to opposite poles of the spindle.
Fourth phase: Telephase
the chromatids or chromosomes move to opposite ends of the cell and two nuclei are formed.
Is Meiosis Asexual or Sexual?
Meiosis is a form of sexual reproduction because it passes on genetic information to the offspring. Sexual reproduction is when one organism or cells reproduces by crossing with another organism or cell.
It's not a form of asexual reproduction because in asexual reproduction the cell reproduces itself, therefore it wouldn't be able to pass on any genetic info if it never started out with any info to pass.