• Although some organisms are able to use mitosis

and cell division to reproduce, most multicellular

organisms use specialized cells for reproduction.

6-3 How Gametes Form: Meiosis

• OBJECTIVES.
• Define gamete, and state its function in sexual
reproduction.
• Explain how meiosis maintains chromo-some
number throughout generations.
• Summarize the events of meiosis.
• Define crossing-over, and explain its impact on
evolution.
 Gametes
• A gamete is a reproductive
gamete
cell — an egg or a sperm.
• Gametes are found only in
organisms that reproduce
sexually, as do most animals.
gametes
• In sexual reproduction, two
gametes fuse to form the first
cell of a new individual, as
shown.
• If gametes were diploid
fertilization instead of haploid, the new
individual would have twice as
many chromosomes as its
2N zygote parents.
 Meiosis
• A type of nuclear division
called meiosis forms
gametes.
• Meiosis is a two-stage
nuclear division in which
the chromosome number
is halved.
meiosis I
• The second meiotic
division (meiosis II)
separates identical copies
of chromosomes.
meiosis II
• Like mitosis, meiosis is
usually followed by cell
division.
 A Closer Look:
male female
Meiosis
In meiosis, eukaryotes
produce reproductive
cells that contain half as
many chromosomes as
the parent cell
A Closer Look:
Meiosis
The diploid (2n) cell nuclei
shown here each have four
chromosomes.

One member of each

chromosome pair is from one
parent; the other is from the
other parent.
 A Closer Look:
Meiosis

First the amount of DNA

doubles.
Then the similar
chromosomes pair with one
another.

Occasionally, paired
chromosomes will exchange
segments in a process called
crossing-over.
 A Closer Look:
Meiosis
The first meiotic division (meiosis I) separates the
members of each pair of chromosomes.

Meiosis I reduces the number of chromosomes in

the cell by one-half.

Meiosis I

Half the number of original Half the number of original

chromosomes chromosomes
 A Closer Look:
Meiosis
The second meiotic division (Meiosis II) separates the
two copies of each chromosome (the chromatids).

N N N N

Meiosis II

Cell division now occurs, producing four haploid N)

cells.
Click image to view movie.
 A Closer Look:
sperm
Meiosis

During sperm formation, the four

cells containing these nuclei
develop heads and tails.

During egg formation, only one of egg

the cells containing these nuclei
becomes a mature egg; the other
three cells usually die.
Most of your life cycle is spent as a diploid
organism. Only certain cells — gametes — are
haploid.
 Fertilization
• When two haploid gametes unite in fertilization,
the resulting cell is diploid.

• It received one of each type of chromosome

from the egg of the female parent and one of
each type of chromosome from the sperm of
the male parent.

• These chromosomes form pairs – homologous

pairs.
 Crossing Over
Crossing-over is a
phenomenon that
occurs during crossing over
meiosis, when pairs of
chromosomes are
held tightly together.

During crossing-over,
the chromosomes
exchange segments of
DNA.
 Crossing Over
• During the first division of meiosis, the two members of each
chromosome pair move together and line up side by side.
• Proteins hold the two pairs of chromosomes so closely together
that they appear indistinguishable While paired the chromosomes
may exchange segments of DNA.
• This exchange of corresponding segments of DNA is called
crossing-over.
• Crossing-over results in two chromosomes that are no longer
identical.
• Each chromosome now contains genetic material from each
parent.
• Exchanging segments of DNA between the members of a pair of
chromosomes results in new combinations of genes.
• These new combinations of genes act as one source of variation
within a species, necessary for natural selection to occur.
SECTION REVIEW
What is a gamete?

What is its role in organisms that repro-duce

sexually?
SECTION REVIEW
Why does meiosis ensure that offspring have
the same chromosome number as parents?
SECTION REVIEW
What is the result of meiosis I?

of meiosis II?
SECTION REVIEW
What is crossing-over?

What is its influence on evolution?

References & Acknowledgements
• Johnson, George B.: Biology, Visualizing Life,
HOLT, RINEHART & WINSTON; Austin,1998.
• Miller, Kenneth R. & Levine, Joseph: Biology,
Prentice Hall; Upper Saddle River, New Jersey,
2004.
• Campbell, Neil A., Williamson, Brad & Heyden,
Robin J. BIOLOGY, Exploring Life, Prentice Hall;
Needham, Massachusetts, 2004.
• Biggs, Alton, Hagins; Whitney Crispen; Kapica,
Chris; Lundgren, Linda; Rillero, Peter; Tallman,
Kathleen G.; Zike, Dinah; National Geographic
Society; Biology, The Dynamics of Life, McGraw
Hill, Glencoe, New York, New York, 2004.
 Photo Credits
• Aaron Haupt
• Corbis
• Digital Stock
• Elaine Shay
• Mark Thayer
• PhotoDisc
• Alton Biggs