noun

meiosis

my-OH-sis

Meiosis (noun) means a type of cell division that produces four sex cells, each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell. It happens in two rounds and shuffles genetic material, so no two gametes are identical. Example: “Meiosis halves the chromosome number so that fertilisation restores it.”

noun

A type of cell division that produces four sex cells, each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell. It happens in two rounds and shuffles genetic material, so no two gametes are identical.

"Meiosis halves the chromosome number so that fertilisation restores it."

"Crossing over occurs during prophase I of meiosis."

A figure of speech in which something is deliberately described as smaller or less important than it is, for ironic effect.

"Calling the hurricane "a spot of weather" is meiosis."

medical Abnormal narrowing of the pupil of the eye, more usually spelled miosis.

"Opioid use typically causes meiosis of the pupils."

How to Use Meiosis

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe cell division that makes egg and sperm cells, each with half the usual chromosomes.

When to use it

Technical; the biological sense dominates in general use, the rhetorical sense appears in literary criticism.

Memory tip

The adjective is meiotic, and the plural of the biological sense is rarely needed. Remember mEiosis makes gamEtes.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

mitosis → miosis

Common pairings

meiosis I meiosis II undergo meiosis stages of meiosis

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

_____ halves the chromosome number so that fertilisation restores it.

Etymology

From Greek meiosis 'a lessening', from meioun 'to make smaller'.

Origin: Greek

Synonyms

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understatement litotes

Antonyms

mitosis hyperbole

Related Words

exaggeration understatement hyperbole mitosis

Rhymes for meiosis

mitosis osmosis stenosis necrosis neurosis hypnosis fibrosis diagnosis prognosis symbiosis halitosis psychosis

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between meiosis and mitosis?

Mitosis makes two identical body cells with the full chromosome count; meiosis makes four genetically varied sex cells with half the count. Mitosis is for growth and repair, meiosis is for reproduction.

How many cells does meiosis produce?

Four haploid cells from one diploid parent cell, through two successive divisions called meiosis I and meiosis II.

Why is meiosis important?

It halves the chromosome number so that a sperm and egg can combine without doubling it each generation, and its crossing over and independent assortment create the genetic variation that evolution acts on.

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