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26.6: Key Terms

  • Page ID
    146311
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    alternation of generations
    life-cycle type in which the diploid and haploid stages alternate
    chiasmata
    (singular, chiasma) the structure that forms at the crossover points after genetic material is exchanged
    cohesin
    proteins that form a complex that seals sister chromatids together at their centromeres until anaphase II of meiosis
    crossover
    exchange of genetic material between nonsister chromatids resulting in chromosomes that incorporate genes from both parents of the organism
    fertilization
    union of two haploid cells from two individual organisms
    gametophyte
    a multicellular haploid life-cycle stage that produces gametes
    germ cells
    specialized cell line that produces gametes, such as eggs or sperm
    interkinesis
    (also, interphase II) brief period of rest between meiosis I and meiosis II
    life cycle
    the sequence of events in the development of an organism and the production of cells that produce offspring
    meiosis
    a nuclear division process that results in four haploid cells
    meiosis I
    first round of meiotic cell division; referred to as reduction division because the ploidy level is reduced from diploid to haploid
    meiosis II
    second round of meiotic cell division following meiosis I; sister chromatids are separated into individual chromosomes, and the result is four unique haploid cells
    recombination nodules
    protein assemblies formed on the synaptonemal complex that mark the points of crossover events and mediate the multistep process of genetic recombination between nonsister chromatids of a homologous pair
    reduction division
    nuclear division that produces daughter nuclei each having one-half as many chromosome sets as the parental nucleus; meiosis I is a reduction division
    somatic cell
    all the cells of a multicellular organism except the gametes or reproductive cells
    spore
    haploid cell that can produce a haploid multicellular organism or can fuse with another spore to form a diploid cell
    sporophyte
    a multicellular diploid life-cycle stage that produces haploid spores by meiosis
    synapsis
    formation of a close association between homologous chromosomes during prophase I
    synaptonemal complex
    protein lattice that forms between homologous chromosomes during prophase I, supporting crossover
    tetrad
    two duplicated homologous chromosomes (four chromatids) bound together by chiasmata during prophase I

    26.6: Key Terms is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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