– Sheetal Srivastava

Duration of mitosis ● Prophase and telophase are the most prolonged.

● Anaphase is the shortest phase. ● Metaphase is of intermediate duration.

Mitotic poisons
There are certain substances that affect the cells in mitosis or prevent them from entering it. These are commonly known as
mitotic poisons. The colchicine inhibits spindle formation and holds the cells in metaphase. The enzyme ribonuclease is
prophase poison. Mustard gas fragments and agglutinates the chromosomes. Azides and cyanides inhibit prophase.

Analysis of questions in various exams

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meiosis
● Meiosis is a process of reductional division in which the
number of chromosomes per cell is cut in half.
● The cells undergoing meiosis are known as meiocytes.
● In most of the animals, gametic meiosis takes place and
they possess diplontic life cycle.
● In some lower plants, zygotic meiosis takes place and
have haplontic life cycle.
● Sporic meiosis is found in plants possessing
diplohaplontic life cycle.
● Young anthers are used in the laboratory to study
meiosis.
● Meiosis involves exchange of genes between homologous
chromosomes. So, the gametes produced are genetically
different from each other.
● Meiosis involves two divisions of the cell – meiosis I and
meiosis II.
● Meiosis I consists of separating the pairs of homologous
chromosomes, each made up of two sister chromatids,
into two cells.

● The term meiosis was coined by Farmer and Moore
(1905).
● The division was first studied by Van Benedin (1887),
Strassburger, Sutton and Winiwater.
● Meiosis II consists of decoupling of sister chromatids
and segregating the individual chromatids into haploid
daughter cells.
● Meiosis II is of shorter duration than the typical mitotic
division.

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● Interkinesis is the stage between telophase I and prophase II where chromosomes are elongated, centrosome
undergoes replication but DNA synthesis does not occur, protein and RNA synthesis occur. Thus it is the stage between
the two meiotic divisions and is generally short lived.
● Cytokinesis normally follows telophase and leads into the interphase.
● Meiosis involves two successive karyokinesis and one cytokinesis. After telophase I, cytokinesis does not take place always.

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 Table : Differences between mitosis and meiosis
Mitosis Meiosis
1. The cell divides only once. There are two cell divisions, the first and the second meiotic
divisions.
2. Mitosis takes place in the somatic cells of the body. Meiosis takes place in the germ cells.
3. DNA replication takes place during interphase I. DNA replication takes place during interphase I but not during
interphase II.
4. The duration of prophase is short, usually of a few hours. Prophase is comparatively longer and may take days.
5. There is no synapsis. Synapsis of homologous chromosomes takes place during pro-
phase.
6. The two chromatids of a chromosome do not exchange Chromatids of two homologous chromosomes exchange seg-
segments during prophase. ments during crossing over.
7. A synaptonemal complex is absent Synapsed homologous chromosome develop a synaptonemal
complex.
8. Crossing over is absent. Crossing over or exchange of similar segments between non-
sister chromatids of homologous chromosomes usually take
place during pachytene stage.
9. Chiasmata are absent. Chiasmata or visible connections between homologous chro-
mosomes of bivalent are observed during diplotene, diakinesis
(prophase I) and metaphase I.
10. Division of the centromeres takes place during ana- There is no centromeric division during anaphase I. Centro-
phase. meres divide only during anaphase II.
11. Anaphasic chromosomes are single stranded. Chromosomes are double stranded in anaphase I but single
stranded in anaphase II.
12. The chromosome number remains constant at the end The chromosome number is reduced from the diploid to the
of mitosis. haploid.
13. The genetic constitution of the daughter cells is identical The genetic constitution of the daughter cells differs from that
to that of parent cells. of the parent cell. The chromosomes of daughter cells usually
contain a mixture of maternal and paternal genes.
14. Mitosis helps in multiplication of cells. Multiplication of cells is not involved.
15. Mitosis takes part in healing and repair. Meiosis takes part in the formation of meiospores or gametes
and maintenance of chromosome number of the race.
nn

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