Question

A cell has 10 picogram of DNA which undergoes meiosis. What will be the amount of DNA in the product of meiosis I and meiosis II?
A. 10 pg and 10 pg respectively
B. 10 pg and 5 pg respectively
C. 5 pg and 5 pg respectively
D. 5 pg and 10 pg respectively

Answer 1

Meiosis includes two phases to produce four haploid daughter cells. DNA replication occurs in interphase during meiosis I in which two identical copies of DNA forms. In meiosis II the reduction of genetic material occurs. Meiosis occurs in sex cells.

Complete answer:
Cell cycle includes five phases for cell division that are: Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, and Telophase.
Meiosis is the phase of cell cycle in which a cell divides into four daughter cells at the end of the cell division. Each daughter cell contains half the original amount of genetic information after complete meiosis. Meiosis takes place in two phases that is meiosis I and meiosis II. Meiosis I is similar to mitosis. During meiosis I cell divides into two daughter cells. Its DNA replicates in S phase and reduces to half when the cell splits into two daughter cells. Hence, there is no change in the amount of DNA in meiosis I.
During meiosis II there is a reductional division in the cells. No replication occurs in this phase but only division of cells takes place. That’s why the amount of DNA in each daughter cell is 5 pg. Number of haploid daughter cells produced at the end of the process is four. In males, all the four cells act as sperm cells. In females only one cell acts as an egg cell while the other three are polar bodies.
From the above information we can conclude that the amount of DNA in meiosis I is 10pg while in meiosis II the amount of DNA is 5 pg.

So, the correct answer is option B.

Note: Meiosis occurs during the formation of gametes. Male gametes (pollen grain or sperm) and females (eggs) have haploid numbers of chromosomes. The first phase of meiosis I that is prophase I includes five phases that is: Leptotene, Zygotene, Pachytene, Diplotene and Diakinesis. Two centrosomes are present outside the nucleus containing pairs of centrioles. Centrioles are the important structures for the process of cell division.