During which stages (or prophase I substages) of meiosis do you expec...
In bivalent formation of chromosomes during meiosis, the homologous chromosomes are arranged in pairs. The phenomenon is called synapsis and it occurs during the zygotene stage. DNA replication occurs during S phase or synthetic phase which is the second phase of interphase.
During which stages (or prophase I substages) of meiosis do you expec...
Explanation:
In meiosis, the process of cell division that produces gametes (sperm and eggs), there are two stages where the formation of bivalents and DNA replication occur. These stages are known as zygotene and S phase, respectively.
Zygotene:
- Zygotene is the stage of prophase I in meiosis where homologous chromosomes begin to pair up and form structures called bivalents or tetrads.
- During zygotene, the homologous chromosomes align and come into close proximity.
- This alignment allows for the exchange of genetic material between the homologous chromosomes through a process called crossing over or recombination.
- The formation of bivalents is an important step in meiosis as it ensures the proper segregation of genetic material during the subsequent stages of meiosis.
S phase:
- S phase is a phase of the cell cycle during which DNA replication occurs.
- DNA replication is the process by which the genetic material in the cell is duplicated.
- It is a crucial step in meiosis as it ensures that each daughter cell receives a complete set of genetic information.
- During S phase, the DNA strands in the chromosomes unwind and separate, allowing DNA polymerase enzymes to synthesize new complementary strands.
- The result is the formation of two identical copies of each chromosome, known as sister chromatids, which are held together at a region called the centromere.
Therefore, the correct answer is option 'D' - Zygotene and S phase (of interphase prior to prophase I). This is because zygotene is the stage where bivalents are formed, and S phase is the stage where DNA replication occurs.
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