BM101: BIOLOGY FOR ENGINEERS
Cell Cycle: Meiosis
Instructor: Yashveer Singh, PhD
Slides courtesy: Dr. Durba Pal
9 September 2019 1
Meiosis
▪ The male gamete or haploid
cell is the sperm and is
MEIOSIS produced in the testes
▪ The female gamete or haploid
cell is the ovum and is produced
in the ovaries
▪ Meiosis comprises two
consecutive cell divisions, called
meiosis I and meiosis II, with no
interphase in between meiosis I
and II
Mitosis vs. Meiosis
▪ In meiosis, after DNA replication, two
nuclear divisions are required to produce
the haploid gametes. Each diploid cell that
enters meiosis produces four genetically
different haploid cells
▪ In mitosis, each diploid cell that divides,
produces two genetically identical diploid
cells
▪ In the absence of meiosis, chromosome
numbers will double, and offspring will not
survive
Figure 20-7: Molecular Biology of the Cell 4e.
Meiosis vs. Mitosis
Meiosis
Interphase I
▪ Proteins and RNA are produced (G1 phase), chromosomes replicate (S
phase), each duplicated chromosome consist of two identical sister
chromatids attached at their centromeres, centrosomes also duplicate
▪ The various stages of meiosis are named as prophase I, prometaphase I,
metaphase I, anaphase I, telophase I and cytokinesis and prophase II,
prometaphase II, metaphase II, anaphase II, telophase II and cytokinesis
Meiosis
▪ Note the absence of
interphase after meiosis I
▪ For discussion of individual
steps, please refer to slides on
mitosis
▪ The key differences between
mitosis and meiosis are
described on subsequent
slides
Google Images
Crossing Over/Prophase I
Homologous chromosomes ▪ Prophase I is the longest and
most complex phase and 90%
of the meiotic process is
spent in prophase I
▪ Chromosomes condense
▪ Synapsis occurs and
homologous chromosomes
come together to form a
sister chromatids sister chromatids
tetrad
Tetrad
▪ Tetrad is two chromosomes or
four chromatids (sister and
non-sister chromatids)
Crossing Over/Prophase I
nonsister chromatids Tetrad ▪ Between prophase I and
metaphase I, a
recombination event called
crossing over occurs
▪ The crossing over results
from the formation of
chiasmata
▪ During crossing over,
segments of non-sister
chromatids break and
Chiasmata (chiasma): variation reattach to the other
site of crossing over
chromatid
Crossing Over/Prophase I
▪ Chiasmata created by crossover events
have a crucial role in holding the maternal
and paternal homologs together until the
spindle separates them at anaphase I
▪ Duplicated homologs are held together at
chiasmata only because the arms of sister
chromatids are glued together along their
length by proteins called cohesin
▪ Contributes to the genetic diversity
among individuals
Figure 20-11: Molecular Biology of the Cell 4e
Metaphase I
▪ Shortest phase, where tetrads align
on the metaphase plate
▪ In mitosis, the duplicated
chromosomes line up as a single file,
at the metaphase plate but in
meiosis, pairing of duplicated
homologs occur before they line up
at the metaphase plate
▪ Random reassortment of maternal
and paternal homologs takes place
and an individual can have 2n
genetically different gametes
Molecular Biology of the Cell 4e
Spermatogenesis ▪ Process is
completed in
days/weeks
▪ The testes produces
spermatogonia (2n),
which undergoes
meiosis I to form
primary
spermatocytes (2n),
which undergoes
meiosis II to form
spermatids (n), which
develops into
spermatozoa (n)
Oogenesis
▪ Completion of meiosis
delayed for months or years
▪ Oogonia (2n) are formed,
which produces primary
oocytes (2n) after meiosis I
and secondary oocytes (n)
after meiosis II
▪ The second division is
unequal and produces 1
large ovum (n) + 3 small
polar bodies (n). The polar
bodies disintegrate
Meiosis and Fertilization
▪ The spermatozoa and ovum (called gametes) fuse during the
fertilization to form a zygote, which is a single cell and it undergoes division and
differentiation to form a multicellular organism
http://www.biology.iupui.edu/biocourses/N100H/ch9meiosis.html
13
Homologous Chromosomes
▪ Pair of chromosomes (maternal and
paternal) that are similar in shape and
size are called homologues
▪ Homologous pairs (tetrads) carry
genes controlling the same inherited
traits
▪ Each locus (position of a gene) is in
the same position on homologues
▪ Humans have 23 pairs of homologous
chromosomes: 22 pairs of autosomes
and 1 pair of sex chromosomes (XX for
female and XY for male
https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/basics/howmanychromosomes
Karyotype
▪ Karyotype is a picture of a
person’s chromosomes
▪ Amniocentesis is the analysis
of amniotic fluid for prenatal
diagnosis of chromosomal
abnormalities and fetal
infections, and sex
determination
▪ This image for instance,
shows trisomy 21 (down
syndrome)
Non-disjunction
▪ Non-disjunction is the failure of homologous
chromosomes or sister chromatids to separate
during meiosis
▪ Non-disjunction results in the production of
zygotes with abnormal chromosome numbers. An
abnormal embryo usually dies but some survive
▪ Common disjunctions are monosomy (one
chromosome) and trisomy (three chromosomes)
Molecular Biology of the Cell 4e
Non-disjunction
▪ Down syndrome (Trisomy 21): cognitive disability and physical abnormalities
▪ Turner syndrome (Monosomy 23X): affects development in females.
Individuals suffering from this syndrome short stature and loss of ovarian
function
▪ Klinefelter syndrome (Trisomy 23 XXY): affected individuals are taller than
average but unable to father biological children (infertile)
▪ Edwards syndrome (Trisomy 18): most babies with Edwards' syndrome will
die before or shortly after being born. Characterized by low birth weight and
underdeveloped organs
Answer: 2n = 46
then n = 23
thus 223 = 8388608 combinations
Do it yourself
▪ Read section Meiosis and Fertilization of Chapter 19 – Sexual Reproduction
and the Power of Genetics from Essential Cell Biology, B. Alberts, D. Bray, K.
Hopkin, A. Johnson, J. Lewis, M. Raff, K. Roberts, and P. Walter, Garland
Science, IV Edition, 2014
19
