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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Sep 21.
Published in final edited form as: Nature. 2006 Jul 13;442(7099):153–158. doi: 10.1038/nature04885

Figure 1. Connections formed between homologous chromosomes during meiosis.

Figure 1

Meiotic cells of most sexual organisms contain two copies of most chromosomes, one from each of the parents (red and blue). After DNA replication, each chromosome comprises a pair of sister chromatids held together by cohesion complexes (green). Sister centromeres (circles) attach as a single unit to microtubules (thin lines) from a spindle pole (not shown). Exchange of chromosome arms between non-sister chromatids yields a chiasma. Dissolution of sister chromatid cohesion along the arms allows the homologues to separate at the first meiotic division (not shown).