Pros And Cons Of Meiosis

Meiosis, also called reduction division, is a distinct type of cell division that is essential for sexual reproduction to occur. It is one in which two successive divisions of diploid cell occur thereby producing four genetically different haploid daughter cells, also called gametes, each with half the number of chromosomes and thus, half the total amount of genetic material as compared to the amount before meiosis began. Interphase precedes meiosis and thus, paves the way for meiosis to eventuate as the cell’s DNA replicates in the S phase yielding corresponding, identical chromosomes. Interphase sparks the marvelous process of meiosis that allows variation to transpire within the organisms it occurs, hence, giving rise to millions of organisms with unique aspects unlike any other on Earth. Because meiosis is a form of sexual reproduction itself, it is the means through which gametes are produced, each with a reduced number of chromosomes, so that when two gametes fuse during fertilization, not only do they form a diploid zygote with 46 chromosomes, but also have manifested differing features due to the rearrangement (crossing-over) of chromosomes.

Meiosis is a kind of cell division that is the key for sexual reproduction to operate contrary to mitosis, a form of asexual reproduction that serves the purpose of growth, repair, and regeneration of cells. Due to the fact that meiosis produces four non-identical haploid daughter cells, it is of vital importance so to allow variation in a population that provides the foundation for evolution, as it permits a species to adapt to changes in their environment. As I briefly mentioned before, meiosis is separated into two stages – meiosis I and II. These stages are further chara...

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...logs that had separated in meiosis I now separate in meiosis II. Therefore, the four haploid daughter cells that form at the end of meiosis II each have two strands of chromatids. Meiosis I unlike meiosis II separates the homologs and thus, changes the original diploid cell into a haploid cell. This would be referred to as reduction. Meiosis II then takes it a step further by dividing the already separated homologs. Meiosis II is quite like mitosis as it just divides the remaining set of chromosomes and because of that, it is just division. The whole procedure is referred to as reduction division by virtue of the references that could be applied to each of the phases. However, the distinct aspect of meiosis is its reduction as the first phase results in a change of the cell in terms of haploid/diploid and as the first division isn’t followed by replication.