During which stage of meiosis do the chromosomes line up individually rather than in pairs?

• A. Metaphase I
• B. Metaphase II
• C. Prophase II
• D. Anaphase I

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that meiosis is a type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in four daughter cells. It consists of two stages: Meiosis I and Meiosis II.
2. Recall that during Meiosis I, homologous chromosomes (pairs of chromosomes, one from each parent) line up in pairs along the metaphase plate. This is known as Metaphase I.
3. In Meiosis II, the process is similar to mitosis. The key difference is that the cells are haploid, meaning they contain one set of chromosomes.
4. During Metaphase II, the chromosomes line up individually along the metaphase plate, not in pairs as in Metaphase I.
5. Therefore, the stage of meiosis where chromosomes line up individually rather than in pairs is Metaphase II.