AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Meiosis, from the Greek word meioun, meaning “to make small, ” refers to the specialized process by which germ cells divide to produce gametes. Because the chromosome number of a species remains the same from one generation to the next, the chromosome number of germ cells must be reduced by half during meiosis.

Detailed explanation-2: -Meiosis is a type of cell division that reduces the number of chromosomes in the parent cell by half and produces four gamete cells. This process is required to produce egg and sperm cells for sexual reproduction.

Detailed explanation-3: -In females, the process of meiosis is called oogenesis, since it produces oocytes and ultimately yields mature ova(eggs). The male counterpart is spermatogenesis, the production of sperm.

Detailed explanation-4: -Only sexually reproductive organisms utilize meiosis. The role of the process is to produce sex cells and to repair genetic defects in germ line cells (the sex cells). Both sexual and asexual organisms go through the process of mitosis.

Detailed explanation-5: -Like mitosis, meiosis also has distinct stages called prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. A key difference, however, is that during meiosis, each of these phases occurs twice-once during the first round of division, called meiosis I, and again during the second round of division, called meiosis II.