Exercise 15: Comparing Mitosis and Meiosis

Meiosis is used to produce haploid cells which develop into spores or gametes for sexual
reproduction. Four cells are made following two rounds of cell division. Meiosis consists of two
successive nuclear divisions known as meiosis I and meiosis II. The cells are reduced in
chromosome number by half thus going from diploid to haploid. This allows fusion of gametes to
form a zygote with the correct number of chromosomes. Gametes have to combine their genetic
material without doubling the number of chromosomes. Otherwise, each successive generation
of offspring would have twice the number of chromosomes in its cells as the previous generation.

Objectives
1. Simulate chromosome movement during mitosis and meiosis
2. Compare the outcome of mitosis and meiosis

Materials:
6 Paper clips
4 Yarn strands (18mm) (2 blue, 2 red)
4 Yarn strands (30mm) (2 blue, 2 red)
Cell Template figures (last three pages of the lab exercise)
Procedure:
Part A: Mitosis
Figure 1 of the Cell Template represents the outline of a cell before cell division or mitosis begins.
Chromosomes are present inside the nucleus (but usually cannot be seen). Use yarn strands to
represent chromosomes. Paternal chromosomes are blue and maternal are red.
1. Place 2 long (one blue and one red) and 2 short (one blue and one red) pieces of yarn
onto Fig 1 of the Cell
Template found at the end of the lab exercise.

2. Before mitosis begins, each chromosome makes an exact copy of itself. This is called
chromosome
replication. It occurs during the S stage of Interphase.
To show chromosome replication, match new strands of yarn with each original. Match
color and length. Hook each doubled chromosome together with a paper clip (centromere).
Each strand is a chromatid; the hooked set is a chromosome.

One chromosome, unduplicated One chromosome, duplicated

The paper clip represents the
centromere
Each strand is a sister chromatid
3. The chromosomes condense (become supercoiled) and become visible under the
microscope. You will not simulate supercoiling with this model.
4. Transfer your chromosomes to Figure 2, and
position
them within the dashed outlines.
During mitosis,
duplicated chromosomes line up
along the cells equator or
the metaphase plate.

5. Doubled chromosomes now separate, and each

chromatid is pulled toward one pole of the cell. Unhook all
doubled
chromosomes. Move the chromatids lined up
along the left side toward the cells left. Move those
chromosomes lined up along
the right side toward the
cells right. Use the arrows as guides.

6. Once the doubled chromosomes (chromatids)

separate, the
original cell begins to pinch in half
down the center. This forms
two new cells.

7. The chromosomes reach the poles of the cell (left

and right
sides of figure 2) as the cell divides and new
nuclear envelopes are
formed. The chromosomes on left
and right sides of Figure 2
should now be thought of
as being in two new cells.

Part B: Meiosis
1. Figure 3 represents the outline of a germ
cell before meiosis begins. Place 2 long (one blue
and one red) and 2 short (one blue and one red)
pieces of yarn to represent chromosomes onto
the cell diagram (fig 3).

2. Before meiosis begins, the chromosomes replicate.

Match new strands of wool with each original to show replication. Hook each doubled
chromosome together
with a paper clip (just as in mitosis)
3. As meiosis I begins homologous pairs match up.
Hook the two doubled long chromosomes together
with a third paper clip. Do not remove the original clips
holding the doubled chromosomes together. Do the
same for the short chromosomes. Each group of
homologous chromosomes is
now called a tetrad.

4. Place your chromosome tetrads onto figure 4. Use the chromosome outlines to
properly position them. During meiosis, the chromosome tetrads line up along the cells
equator or metaphase plate. The paired
chromosomes (tetrads) can line up randomly in any
orientation as shown here. (see figure 12.7 in the text book)

5. Homologous chromosomes now separate and are

pulled
toward opposite ends of the cell. Each tetrad
separates into 2
duplicated chromosomes.
Unhook the third paper clip that holds each tetrad
together.
(Each of the duplicated chromosomes sister
chromatids should still be held together by their paper
clip.) Move the doubled chromosomes toward opposite
cell ends. Move those pairs
lined up along the left
center toward the left side of the newly
forming cell and those on the right toward the right.
Follow the arrows as guides.

6. Two new cells are formed as the original cell pinches into two.

7. As meiosis II begins both new cells prepare to divide. The chromosomes are usually
already condensed, but a new bipolar spindle has to form.
Transfer the chromosomes on the right
side of fig. 4 to the top large circle of fig 5.
Transfer the chromosomes on the left side of
fig. 4 to the bottom large circle of fig. 5. The
two circles on fig. 5 represent the two cells
resulting from meiosis II

8. Position the chromosomes within the

dashed
lines so they are lining up at the
equator.

9. Doubled chromosomes now separate, and

each chromatid is pulled toward one pole of the cell.
Unhook all doubled chromosomes. Move the
chromatids as
shown by the arrows into the new
cell outlines above and
below the two original cells.
Move the chromatids lined up along the left side
toward the cells left. Move those
chromatids lined
up along the right side toward the cells
right.

10. Four new cells form, chromosomes relax and new nuclear membranes are formed.
Depending on how the homologous pairs lined up during metaphase I, any of these could
represent the final outcome of meiosis.

Cell Template
Figure 1

Figure 2

Cell Template
Figure 3

Figure 4

Cell Template
Figure 5