Two phases of meiotic division:
(i) Meiotic cell division is divided into two phases Meiosis I and Meiosis II.
(ii) In the meiotic I division, the homologous chromosomes pair to form bivalents. Exchange of genetic material takes place.
(iii) The chromosomes now separate and get distributed into daughter cells.
(iv) Prophase I is divided into five sub-stages : Leptotene, Zygotene, Pachytene, Diplotene and Diakinesis.
(v) During Metaphase I, the bivalents get arranged on equatorial plate with their arms on the plate but the centromere is directed towards opposite pole. It is followed by Anaphase I.
Fig. Stages of meiosis
(vi) Now the homologous chromosomes repel each other, and move to the opposite poles with both their chromatids.
(vii) In this way each pole gets half the chromosomes number of the parent cell.
(viii) In telophase I, the nuclear envelope and nucleolus again appear. Meiosis II is quite similar to mitosis.
(ix) The centromere of each chromosome breaks, separating the chromatids, one each to a daughter cell.
(x) The meiotic cell division maintains the chromosome number of a species.
(xi) As a result of meiotic division, the four daughter cells are formed with half the chromosome number (haploid) in each cell.
