1. Reducing the diploid number (2n) to the haploid (n) Aka meiosis

2. Gametes are different Two kinds of cells –Autosomes –Gametes Autosomes have a double set of chromosomes (diploid number) Gametes have one set of chromosomes (haploid number) called 2n and n respectively

3. Meiosis Meiosis: a type of cell division The number of chromosomes in a diploid cell is reduced by half to produce haploid gametes Reference page 133 and the handout picture to describe the meiotic process

4. Special cell division Look at the mitosis meiosis comparison table on page 326. The first cell division makes a haploid cell

5. Increasing diversity wow How many combinations of human chromosomes are possible? –2 to the 23 rd power (more than 8 million possibilities) –In the tetrad, some parts of the chromosomes cross over or exchange material with each other, increasing the number of possibilities to even more than 8X10E6