Ten Fascinating Facts about Meiosis

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1. Meiosis is a process of cell division specific to reproduction.

  • Sexually reproducing organisms have sex cell.
  • Meiosis divides a single cell into two.
  • Human sex cells are diploid cells.
  • Diploid cells have 2 homologous chromosomes.
  • The sex cell’s nucleus divides in the process of meiosis to form gametes.

2.Meiosis is mistakenly identified from mitosis.

  • Both are processes of cell division.
  • Mitosis is a process where the chromosomes of a cell nucleus are divided into two identical sets of chromosomes.
  • Meiosis is also called division reduction process. It reduces the amount of chromosome by half.

3.Meiosis makes diploid cells to haploid cells and forms again a diploid cell.

  • Diploid cells are countless cells in all living organisms.
  • Human are diploid organisms with somatic cells having 46 chromosomes which comes in 2 complete set (23 each set).
  • Through the process of meiosis, haploid cells are produced.
  • During fertilization gametes (egg and sperm) fused and a diploid zygote is produced.

 

4. Chromosome number is reduced by half during meiosis.

  • Meiosis is a specialized process of cell making with only half the DNA before the gametes are fully formed.
  • Which means, from a typical human somatic cell having 46 chromosome is further divided in a single set of chromosomes (23 chromosomes each from the male and female) which contain most of DNA strands (storage of biological information).

 

5.Genetic variation as a result of meiosis makes each and every individual unique and different

  • Each cells produced during the process of meiosis is genetically unique.
  • Your parents are carriers of variants of genes.
  • These genes carry the compacted DNA strands that will later determine the characteristics of the offspring.
  • In meiosis, DNA’s are jumble up giving way for crossing over of chromosomes.
  • Siblings from same parent have different genetic make ups.

6.An error during meiosis may produce negative impact on human development.

  • Meiosis must be perfectly completed and genetic material must split correctly and kept organized.
  • Otherwise, an extra or lacking chromosomes and misalignment of genes during meiosis may result to abnormal outcome.
  • Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome) is an example. This is the result where the 21st chromosome fails to separate during egg or sperm development adding up one extra chromosome.

 

7. Meiosis is useful in increasing agricultural yield.

  • In general, plants do reproduce too in the process of meiosis.
  • Genetic variation used in yielding agricultural crops is capable in broadening a sustainable crop range.
  • It also increases the efficiency of production by developing new varieties of crops.
  • Through cross breeding, it is possible to change traits of plants through crossing over of genes by propagation.

 

8. Meiosis is a step by step process.

  • It comes in two delicate stages.
  • Meiosis I is the reduction stage, making daughter cells haploid. The stage where most of the recombination of genes takes place.
  • Meiosis II is where split of chromosome and brings back the normal amount of DNA to come up with the normal genetic content of the daughter cells. This stage is quite similar to mitosis but is not really the same due to genetic recombination.

9. DNA exchange takes place during meiosis.

  • The mother and father’s chromosomes paired up.
  • Genetic information reconnects to opposite chromosome

 

10. Mutation is possible in meiosis.

  • Mutation is the process of changing a DNA sequence permanently.
  • It is possible to acquire extraordinary traits through chromosomal mapping and DNA sequencing.

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