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MedTerms Medical Dictionary |
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Meiosis: What chromosomes do during germ cell formation to halve the chromosome number from 46 to 23. Chromosomes are the carriers of DNA, the hereditary material, in the cells of the body. The chromosomes are visible under the microscope. Women and men usually have 2 sex chromosomes. Women usually inherit 2 X chromosomes -- one from each parent. Men usually inherit an X chromosome from their mother, and a Y chromosome from their father. In meiosis, the 46 chromosomes in the cell divide to make two new cells with 23 chromosomes each. Before meiosis is completed, however, chromosomes pair with their corresponding chromosomes and exchange bits of genetic material. In women, X chromosomes pair; in men, the X and Y chromosome pair. After the exchange, the chromosomes separate, and meiosis continues. |
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