Chapter 1 - Mammalian Meiosis

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Abstract

Meiosis is a specialized form of cellular division that occurs in all sexually reproducing organisms. The goal of meiosis is to halve the genomic content of the parent cell, which contains two copies of each chromosome (i.e., diploid), so that the daughter cells, or gametes, contain only one copy of each chromosome (i.e., haploid). Two gametes can then undergo fertilization to produce an embryo that is restored to diploid chromosome status. Unlike mitosis, therefore, in which cells replicate their DNA and then divide once, during meiosis, DNA replication is followed by two consecutive divisions to result in up to four gametes. This chapter addresses the fundamental events that induce meiotic initiation, the defining events of meiosis that allow for faithful segregation of DNA content, and the molecular events that orchestrate this exquisitely choreographed and fascinating process. Also covered are the consequences for human health of inaccurate segregation of chromosomes, and how this impacts mammalian reproduction.

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