Prophase II
Spindle apparatus forms, chromatids still held at centromere
Prophase II is the second stage of meiosis. It follows the completion of meiosis I, where the cell divides into two haploid cells with separated chromosomes. In prophase II, the two haploid cells resulting from meiosis I undergo further division to produce four haploid daughter cells.
During prophase II, the nuclear envelope breaks down and the spindle fibers start to form. The spindle fibers connect to the kinetochores on the chromosomes and prepare to pull the chromosomes apart. The chromosomes consist of two chromatids held together by a centromere.
The chromosomes then begin to condense and become visible under a microscope. The chromatin fibers in the nucleus coil and fold up into compact structures, allowing the chromosomes to become distinguishable.
One of the distinguishing features of prophase II is that there is no crossing over, as this only occurs during meiosis I. However, there is still genetic diversity created as a result of random alignment and separation of chromosomes.
Overall, prophase II sets the stage for the eventual separation of sister chromatids and the formation of four haploid cells with unique combinations of genes.
More Answers:
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Understanding Telophase I and Cytokinesis in Meiosis I