F2023_Bis2A_Singer_Meiosis_and_Sexual_Reproduction

Sexual Reproduction

Why do you look similar to your parents, but not identical? First, it is because you have two parents. Second, it is because of sexual reproduction. Whereas asexual reproduction produces genetically identical clones, sexual reproduction produces genetically diverse individuals. Sexual reproduction is the creation of a new organism by combining the genetic material of two organisms. As both parents contribute half of the new organism’s genetic material, the offspring will have traits of both parents, but will not be exactly like either parent. Sexual reproduction and meiosis are processes specifically evolved in eukaryotes. That most eukaryotes reproduce sexually is evidence of its evolutionary success. In many animals, it is the only mode of reproduction. The variation that sexual reproduction creates among offspring is very important to the survival and reproduction of those offspring. In asexual organisms such as prokaryotes, the only source of genetic variation is mutation. In sexually reproducing organisms, mutations are continually reshuffled between generations when parents combine their unique genomes, and the genes are mixed into different combinations by the process of meiosis.

Meiosis

Sexual reproduction requires fertilization, the union of two cells from two individual organisms. If those two cells each contain one set of chromosomes, then the resulting cell contains two sets of chromosomes. Haploid cells contain one set of chromosomes, diploid cells contain two sets of chromosomes. The number of sets of chromosomes in a cell is called its ploidy level. If the reproductive cycle is to continue, then the diploid cell must reduce its number of chromosome sets before fertilization can occur again, or there will be a continual doubling in the number of chromosome sets in every generation. So, in addition tofertilization, sexual reproduction includes a nuclear division that reduces the number of chromosome sets.

The nuclear division that forms haploid cells, which is called meiosis, is related to mitosis. In mitosis, both the parent and the daughter nuclei are at the same ploidy level—diploid for most plants and animals. Meiosis employs many of the same mechanisms as mitosis. However, the starting nucleus is always diploid and the nuclei that result at the end of a meiotic cell division are haploid. To achieve this reduction in chromosome number, meiosis consists of one round of chromosome duplication and two rounds of nuclear division. Because the events that occur during each of the division stages are analogous to the events of mitosis, the same stage names are assigned. However, because there are two rounds of division, the major process and the stages are designated with a “meiosis I” or a “meiosis II” (Figure 1).

Prior to meiosis, the cell’s DNA is replicated, generating chromosomes with two sister chromatids. A human cell prior to meiosis will have 46 chromosomes, 22 pairs of homologous autosomes, and 1 pair of sex chromosomes.Homologous chromosomes, or homologs, are similar in size, shape, and genetic content; they contain the same genes, though they may have different alleles of those genes. The genes/alleles are at the same loci on homologous chromosomes. You inherit one chromosome of each pair of homologs from your mother and the other one from your father.

   

Figure 1: Overview of Meiosis. During meiosis, homologous chromosomes separate and go to different daughter cells. This diagram shows just the nuclei of the cells. Notice the exchange of genetic material that occurs prior to the first cell division.

Meiosis I begins after DNA replicates during interphase. Meiosis II follows meiosis I without DNA replicating again. Both meiosis I and meiosis II occur in four phases, called prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. You may recognize these four phases from mitosis, the division of the nucleus that takes place during routine cell division of eukaryotic cells (Figure 2)

7.5

Figure 2: Complete Stages of Meiosis: An animal cell with a diploid number of four (2n = 4) proceeds through the stages of meiosis to form four haploid daughter cells.

Meiosis I

1. Prophase I: The nuclear envelope begins to break down, and the chromosomes condense. Centrioles start moving to opposite poles of the cell, and a spindle begins to form. Importantly, homologous chromosomes pair up, which is unique to prophase I. In prophase of mitosis and meiosis II, homologous chromosomes do not form pairs in this way. During prophase I, meiotic recombination occurs, and at least one crossover per homologous chromosome pair is generated. Crossover formation is essential for accurately segregating homologous chromosome pairs at the end of meiosis I and confers genetic diversity in offspring.
2. Metaphase I: Spindle fibers attach to the paired homologous chromosomes. The paired chromosomes line up along the equator of the cell. This occurs only in metaphase I. In metaphase of mitosis and meiosis II, it is sister chromatids that line up along the equator of the cell.
3. Anaphase I: Spindle fibers shorten, and the chromosomes of each homologous pair start to separate from each other. One chromosome of each pair moves toward one pole of the cell, and the other chromosome moves toward the opposite pole.
4. Telophase I and Cytokinesis: The spindle breaks down, and new nuclear membranes form. The cytoplasm of the cell divides, and two haploid daughter cells result. The daughter cells each have a random assortment of chromosomes, with one from each homologous pair. Both daughter cells go on to meiosis II.

Meiosis II

1. Prophase II: The nuclear envelope breaks down and the spindle begins to form in each haploid daughter cell from meiosis I. The centrioles also start to separate.
2. Metaphase II: Spindle fibers line up the sister chromatids of each chromosome along the equator of the cell.
3. Anaphase II: Sister chromatids separate and move to opposite poles.
4. Telophase II and Cytokinesis: The spindle breaks down, and new nuclear membranes form. The cytoplasm of each cell divides, and four haploid cells result. Each cell has a unique combination of chromosomes.

Comparing Mitosis and Meiosis

Mitosis and meiosis are both forms of division of the nucleus in eukaryotic cells. They share some similarities, but also exhibit distinct differences that lead to very different outcomes. Mitosis is a single nuclear division that results in two nuclei that are usually partitioned into two new cells. The nuclei resulting from a mitotic division are genetically identical to the original nucleus. They have the same number of sets of chromosomes, one set in the case of haploid cells and two sets in the case of diploid cells. In most plants and all animal species, it is typically diploid cells that undergo mitosis to form new diploid cells. In contrast, meiosis consists of two nuclear divisions resulting in four nuclei that are usually partitioned into four new cells. The nuclei resulting from meiosis are not genetically identical and they contain one chromosome set only. This is half the number of chromosome sets in the original cell, which is diploid.

The main differences between mitosis and meiosis occur in meiosis I, which is a very different nuclear division than mitosis. In meiosis I, the homologous chromosome pairs become associated with each other, are bound together with the synaptonemal complex, develop chiasmata and undergo crossover between sister chromatids, and line up along the metaphase plate in tetrads with kinetochore fibers from opposite spindle poles attached to each kinetochore of a homolog in a tetrad. All of these events occur only in meiosis I.

Figure 3. Meiosis vs. Mitosis. Meiosis and mitosis are both preceded by one round of DNA replication; however, meiosis includes two nuclear divisions. The four daughter cells resulting from meiosis are haploid and genetically distinct. The daughter cells resulting from mitosis are diploid and identical to the parent cell.

 

---

Possible NB Discussion Point

What are the major differences between Prophase I of Meiosis and Prophase of Mitosis? Why are these distinctions so significant?

---

 

Gametogenesis

The developmental process of gametes is called gametogenesis including the process of meiosis. It differs between males and females.

• A gamete produced by a male is called a sperm, and the process that produces a mature sperm is called spermatogenesis. During this process, a sperm cell grows a tail and gains the ability to “swim,” like the human sperm cell shown in the figure below.
• A gamete produced by a female is called an egg, and the process that produces a mature egg is called oogenesis. Just one egg is produced from the four haploid cells that result from meiosis. The single egg is a very large cell.

 

Spermatogenesis

Spermatogenesis occurs in the wall of the seminiferous tubules, with stem cells at the periphery of the tube and the spermatozoa at the lumen of the tube. Immediately under the capsule of the tubule are diploid, undifferentiated cells. These stem cells, called spermatogonia (singular: spermatagonium), go through mitosis with one offspring going on to differentiate into a sperm cell, while the other gives rise to the next generation of sperm.

 

 

Figure 4: Spermatogenesis. During spermatogenesis, four sperm result from each primary spermatocyte, which divides into two haploid secondary spermatocytes; these cells will go through a second meiotic division to produce four spermatids.

Meiosis begins with a cell called a primary spermatocyte. At the end of the first meiotic division, a haploid cell is produced called a secondary spermatocyte. This haploid cell must go through another meiotic cell division. The cell produced at the end of meiosis is called a spermatid. When it reaches the lumen of the tubule and grows a flagellum(or "tail"), it is called a sperm cell. Four sperm result from each primary spermatocyte that goes through meiosis.

Stem cells are deposited during gestation and are present at birth through the beginning of adolescence but in an inactive state. During adolescence, gonadotropic hormones from the anterior pituitary cause the activation of these cells and the production of viable sperm. This continues into old age.

Oogenesis

Oogenesis occurs in the outermost layers of the ovaries. As with sperm production, oogenesis starts with a germ cell, called an oogonium (plural: oogonia), but this cell undergoes mitosis to increase in number, eventually resulting in up to one to two million cells in the embryo.

 

Figure 5: Oogenesis. The process of oogenesis occurs in the ovary's outermost layer. A primary oocyte begins the first meiotic division but then arrests until later in life when it will finish this division in a developing follicle. This results in a secondary oocyte, which will complete meiosis if it is fertilized.

Unlike male mammals that generate gametes (sperm) throughout life, female mammals are born with a finite number of gametes (oocytes) that reside in ovaries. The size and quality of this follicle pool, termed the ovarian reserve, and its maintenance determine female fecundity and reproductive lifespan. Female germ cells enter meiotic prophase before birth after proliferation of primordial germ cells. At the time of birth, all future eggs are in the prophase stage. In human females, oocytes can remain arrested for decades prior to growth and maturation into eggs that are capable of being fertilized and supporting early embryogenesis. At adolescence, anterior pituitary hormones cause the development of a number of follicles in an ovary. This results in the primary oocyte finishing the first meiotic division. The cell divides unequally, with most of the cellular material and organelles going to one cell, called a secondary oocyte, and only one set of chromosomes and a small amount of cytoplasm going to the other cell. This second cell is called a polar body and usually dies. A secondary meiotic arrest occurs, this time at the metaphase II stage. At ovulation, this secondary oocyte will be released and travel toward the uterus through the oviduct. If the secondary oocyte is fertilized, the cell continues through the meiosis II, completing meiosis, producing a second polar body and a fertilized egg containing all 46 chromosomes of a human being, half of them coming from the sperm.

Link to external resources

---

Meiosis: Where the Sex Starts - Crash Course Biology #13

https://youtu.be/qCLmR9-YY7o

---