Meiosis and Gametogenesis

A. What features of meiosis are important in sexual reproduction?

• The two most important features of meiosis are genetic variation and the production of haploid
cells also called gametes. Genetic variation is very important because it allows the offspring to
be different from its parents by obtaining half of the chromosomes from the mother and the other
half from the father. This genetic variation makes it possible for multi-cellular organisms to
adapt to a changing environment by passing on traits which are necessary for survival. Some
examples of these traits may be a specific skin color, the ability to camouflage, etc. The plays a
great role in the survival of the fittest, which is a Darwinian theory. The second feature of
meiosis which is very important is the ability to produce a haploid cell from a diploid cell.
Humans for example contain 46 chromosomes. Without meiosis cutting the chromosome
number in half in gametes each new generation would have double the chromosome number than
their parents. Ultimately, this would lead to an entirely new species of humans. By cutting the
number of chromosomes in half in gametes, meiosis preserves the number of chromosomes, 46
in humans.
B. Why is meiosis important to heredity?
• Meiosis is important to heredity because it allows traits to be passed on from one generation to
the next. The first way this is done is through independent assortment. Independent assortment
occurs in metaphase one. This is important to heredity because depending on the arrangement of
the chromosomes the there is a fifty-fifty chance that a particular daughter cell of meiosis I will
get the maternal chromosome of a certain homologous pair and a fifty-fifty chance that it will
receive the paternal chromosome. The second way is by crossing over. Crossing over produces
recombinant chromosomes, which combine genes inherited from two parents. Crossing over
begins in prophase I, in which homologous portions of two nonsister chromatids trade places.
Crossing over increases the number of genetic types of gametes that result from meiosis. This
allows a great variety of traits that can be passed on to the offspring.
C. How is meiosis related to gametogenesis?
• Meiosis is just the beginning of creating a gamete. Gametogenesis, which involves both Meiosis
I and Meiosis II, converts the haploid cells into functional sperm or ova. In human males for
example, gametogenesis produces four sperm cells from the four haploid cells produced from
meiosis and in females it creates 1 ovum, the other three are just polar bodies that degenerate and
do not survive.

D. What are the similarities and differences between gametogenesis in plants and gemetogenesis in
animals?
• In animals, gametogenesis occurs in the gonads and produces gametes. Gametogenesis in males
occurs in the testes and in females it occurs in the ovaries. In plants, gametogenesis occurs in
flowers and it produces spores. In males it occurs in the anther of the stamen and in females it
occurs in the ovule of the ovary. The two phases involved in both are meiosis I and meiosis II.
The end results are 4 haploid gametes. In males, four sperm cells are produced and in females
one ovum is produces. The other three in females are just polar bodies which degenerate and do
not survive.