BRAINCAKEMeiosis 2
Meiosis II is the second division of meiosis. It takes place in both haploid cells produced by meiosis I, and it separates the sister chromatids of each chromosome. It follows the same stages as mitosis:
• Prophase II: the chromosomes condense again (if they had uncoiled), the nuclear envelope breaks down and a new spindle forms, often at right angles to the first.
• Metaphase II: the chromosomes line up singly on the equator, with spindle fibres from opposite poles attached to each centromere. Because the chromatids are no longer identical after crossing over, the way they face the poles is random, which adds further variation.
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Key terms in this lesson
- centromere
- The region of a chromosome that joins sister chromatids together and to which spindle fibres attach during cell division.
- crossing over
- The exchange of sections of DNA between non-sister chromatids of homologous chromosomes during meiosis, producing new combinations of alleles.
More in Meiosis and Sexual Reproduction
- Prophase 1
- Metaphase 1
- Anaphase 1
- Telophase 1
- The Importance of Meiosis
- Chromosome Mutation
- Non-disjunction
- Down's Syndrome
All 28 lessons in Meiosis and Sexual Reproduction · All Edexcel AS-level Biology topics