CHAPTER 10

Sexual Reproduction and Genetics

1 Meiosis MAINIDEA
4(B), 5(A), 6(A), 6(G) Meiosis produces haploid
gametes.
Before You Read
Think about the traits that make people unique. Some people
are tall, while others are short. People can have brown, blue, What You’ll Learn
or green eyes. On the lines below, list a few traits that make • how chromosome
you look different from other people. In this section, you will number decreases
learn how meiosis rearranges genes. during meiosis
Hair color, eye color, head shape, eye shape • the stages of meiosis
• how meiosis provides
genetic variation

Read to Learn
Chromosomes and Chromosome
Number
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Focus
All students in your class have characteristics passed on to After you have read this section,
them by their parents. Each characteristic, such as hair color, create a quiz based on what you
eye color, and height, is called a trait. have learned. After you have
The instructions for each trait are found on chromosomes. completed writing the quiz
Recall that chromosomes are found in the nuclei of cells. The questions, be sure to answer
DNA on the chromosomes is arranged in sections that control them.
the production of proteins. These DNA sections are called
genes.
Each chromosome has hundreds of genes. Each gene has a Applying Math
role in the characteristics of the cell and how the cell works.
Living things have thousands of genes. 1. Calculate the
Human body cells have 46 chromosomes. Chromosomes approximate number of
come in pairs. You have 23 chromosomes from your father genes humans have.
and 23 chromosomes from your mother, making 23 pairs of Show your work.
chromosomes. (Assume that each
chromosome has
1500 genes.)

69000 genes

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 What are homologous chromosomes?
The chromosomes that make up a pair, one from each
parent, are called homologous (huh MAH luh gus)
chromosomes.
Homologous chromosomes are the same length and have the
centromere in the same place. They also carry genes for the
same traits at the same place. Look at the picture below, and
see if you can spot the homologous pair.
Homologous chromosomes are similar but not identical.
For example, the gene for ear shape will be located at the
same place on each homologous chromosome. Although these
genes code for ear shape, the gene on one chromosome might
code for one ear shape. The gene on the other chromosome
might code for a different ear shape.

Take a Look
2. Identify Circle a pair of
homologous
chromosomes.

How is chromosome number maintained in a species?

The number of chromosomes does not change from

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generation to generation. You have the same number of
chromosomes as your parents. Gametes (GA meets), or sex
cells with half the number of chromosomes, ensure the
chromosome number stays the same.
The symbol n represents the number of chromosomes. In
humans, n is equal to 23. A cell with n number of
Think it Over chromosomes is called a haploid cell. Gametes are haploid
cells.
3. Identify How many The process in which one haploid gamete joins with
chromosomes are in a another haploid gamete is called fertilization. After
human gamete? (Circle fertilization, the cell has 2n chromosomes—n chromosomes
your answer.) from the female parent plus n chromosomes from the male
a. 46 parent. A cell with 2n chromosomes is called a diploid cell.
Notice that n also represents the number of chromosome
b. 23 pairs in an organism.
c. 10

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 Meiosis I
Recall that most cells are formed by mitosis. During mitosis
the chromosome number stays the same. Because sex cells
need half the number of chromosomes, a different process of
cell division is needed. Gametes are formed during a process Make a circle foldable
called meiosis. using the titles shown.
Meiosis is a kind of cell division that reduces the number of Use it to organize your
chromosomes by half through the separation of homologous notes on meiosis.
chromosomes. Meiosis takes place in the reproductive organs
of plants and animals. During meiosis, there are two cell 1

divisions. They are called meiosis I and meiosis II. 2

What happens during interphase I?

Just as in mitosis, a cell goes through interphase before
undergoing meiosis. A cell in interphase carries out a variety
of metabolic functions, copies its DNA, and makes proteins.
What happens during prophase I?
Meiosis I begins with prophase I. During prophase I,
replicated chromosomes, consisting of two sister chromatids,
condense.
When that happens, the chromosomes become visible under a
light microscope.
As the homologous chromosomes condense, they
begin to form homologous pairs in a process called
synapsis
(suh NAP sus). The homologous chromosomes are held
tightly together along their lengths by a protein that acts like
a zipper. Prophase I continues as the chromosomes move to
opposite sides of the cell.
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Take a Look
What is crossing over?
During synapsis, the chromosomes often swap pieces of 4. Label Circle the part of
DNA. Crossing over occurs when a section of one each chromosome that
chromosome changes place with a section of its homologous was swapped during
chromosome. This is shown in the figure below. The crossing over.
centrioles move to the opposite poles of the cell. Spindle
fibers form and bind to the sister chromatids at the
centromere.

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 What happens during metaphase I?
The next phase is metaphase I. During metaphase I, the
pairs of homologous chromosomes line up in the center of the
cell. The spindle fibers attach to the centromere of each
homologous chromosome.
What happens during anaphase I?
Next is anaphase I. During anaphase I, each homologous
chromosome is guided by the spindle fibers toward opposite
poles of the cell. When this happens, the chromosome
number is reduced from 2n to n. Notice that the sister
chromatids do not split during meiosis I. Each homologous
chromosome still has two sister chromatids.
What is the final stage of meiosis I?
The final stage of meiosis I is telophase I. During
telophase I, the homologous chromosomes reach opposite
Think it Over poles of the cell. Each pole contains only one member of a
5. Identify During what pair of homologous
phase is the chromosome
number reduced from 2n
to n?
Anaphase I chromosomes.
The sister chromatids might not be identical because
crossing over might have occurred during synapsis in prophase
I. Crossing over is one way that meiosis leads to more genetic
diversity. This diversity helps explain how species can change
over time.
At the end of telophase I, the cell undergoes cytokinesis,
meaning it divides into two cells. The cells then might go into
interphase again, but this time, the DNA is not copied during
interphase. The events of meiosis I are shown below.

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Take a Look
MEIOSIS I
6. Label In the space
provided, write the
chromosome number (2n
or n) for each phase. 3 Metaphase 4 Anaphase I
I

2 Prophase
I 5 Telophase
I

Centriole Equato
s r

1
Interphase

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 Meiosis II
Meiosis is now half finished. To complete meiosis, the cell GET IT?
must go through meiosis II. Meiosis II is similar to mitosis. 7. Infer Why are the two
phases of meiosis
What events occur during meiosis II? important for gamete
formation?
During prophase II, the spindle apparatus forms, and the To create 4 haploid cells
chromosomes condense. During metaphase II, a haploid number
of chromosomes lines up near the center of the cell by the
spindle fibers. During anaphase II, the sister chromatids are
pulled apart at the centromere by the spindle fibers, and the
sister chromatids are pulled to the opposite poles of the cell.
In telophase II, the chromosomes reach the poles, and the
nuclear membrane and nuclei reform. Cytokinesis, or cell
division, occurs. The result is four haploid cells, each with n
number of chromosomes.
Take a Look
MEIOSIS
8. Label Circle the phase in
Product II
10 6 Prophase which the sister chromatids
s II are pulled apart. Count the
cells in telophase II, and
write the number in the
8
Equat space provided.
Anaphase II
or

9 Telophase
7 Metaphase II
II
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The Importance of Meiosis Take a Look

The figure below shows that meiosis and mitosis have 9. Compare Fill in the blanks
similar steps, but they are different in important ways. An in the table with the
important difference is that mitosis produces two identical number of daughter cells
diploid daughter cells, while meiosis produces four different produced.
haploid daughter cells.
Mitosis Meiosis

Number of cell divisions one two

Synapsis of homologous does not occur occurs during prophase I

chromosomes

Products 2 5
identical, diploid cells nonidentical, haploid cells

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Type of cells produced body cells reproductive cells

Purpose growth and repair of body production of gametes for sexual

tissues reproduction

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 How does meiosis create genetic diversity?
The haploid daughter cells made by meiosis are not
identical. Because the daughter cells are different, meiosis
results in genetic variation.
One way that meiosis produces non-identical daughter cells
occurs during prophase I. When pairs of homologous
chromosomes line up at the center of the cell, they do so
randomly. This means that each daughter cell gets a different,
random assortment of chromosomes. The effect on genetic
diversity is illustrated in the figure below.
The other way meiosis creates variation is through
crossing over. Fertilization, when two haploid gametes
combine, results in even more genetic variation.

Take a Look
S S
10. Identify Underline Y Y
s s
the haploid daughter y y
Diploid
cells. parent
SsYy

S s

Y y

Meiosis
continue
s
Possibility Possibility 3
1 sY

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SY

Y S Y s

Possibility 2 Possibility 4
Sy sy

y S y s

Potential types of haploid gametes

Think it Over
11. Compare How is Sexual Reproduction v. Asexual
chromosome
inheritance different in
Reproduction
sexual reproduction? Asexual reproduction occurs when the organism inherits all o
In sexual reproduction the its chromosomes from one parent. The new organism is
offspring is not genetically genetically identical to its parent. Asexual reproduction does
identical to the parents not involve meiosis.
Bacteria reproduce by asexual reproduction. Plants and
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some simple animals can reproduce sexually or asexually.
Complex animals only reproduce sexually.

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