What occurs during anaphase II of meiosis?

• A. Sister chromatids separate and move to opposite poles.
• B. Homologous chromosomes separate and move to opposite poles.
• C. Nuclear envelope reforms around separated chromosomes.
• D. Chromosomes align at the metaphase plate.

Answer: (A)

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 haploid cells. It consists of two stages: meiosis I and meiosis II.
2. Recall that anaphase II is a phase in meiosis II, which follows meiosis I. During meiosis I, homologous chromosomes are separated, while meiosis II is similar to mitosis.
3. In anaphase II, the key event is the separation of sister chromatids. Sister chromatids are identical copies of a chromosome that were duplicated during the S phase of the cell cycle.
4. During anaphase II, the spindle fibers attached to the centromeres of the sister chromatids shorten, pulling the sister chromatids apart toward opposite poles of the cell.
5. Recognize that the separation of sister chromatids during anaphase II ensures that each of the resulting daughter cells will have a complete set of chromosomes, contributing to genetic diversity in gametes.