These puzzles are useful aids for learning about cell

division. Students will find the overview pages

helpful as they work on completing their puzzles.

Teachers may want to use the large phase pages as

overheads during discussions about cell division.

The Puzzle of

Mitosis and

Meiosis

© 2001 Washington University Science OutreachTeachers may reproduce these pages for classroom use.

Support from Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) R25 RR 15603National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health

Preparation for Cell Division

Interphase Prophase

Chromosomes are so dispersed in the nuclei that they cannot be

distinguished, but before interphase ends, their DNA has been duplicated.

Chromosomes have condensed and become distinguishable; each chromosome consists of two chromatids joined at their

centromeres.

Mitosis

Metaphase Anaphase

Chromosomes line up on the spindle

equator; homologues are not paired.

Telophase Interphase(NOT part of mitosis!)

CentromeresSPLIT

Sister chromatids separate.

Nuclei are re-formed; each nucleus has

two chromosomes of each type.

Cells have divided; chromosomes have

unwound.

Overview

Interphase

Prophase

Ch

rom

oso

mes

are

so

dis

per

sed

in

th

e n

ucl

ei t

hat

th

ey c

ann

ot

be

dis

tin

gu

ish

ed, b

ut

bef

ore

inte

rph

ase

end

s, th

eir D

NA

has

bee

n d

up

licat

ed.

Ch

rom

oso

mes

hav

e co

nd

ense

d

and

bec

om

e d

isti

ng

uis

hab

le;

each

ch

rom

oso

me

con

sist

s o

f tw

o c

hro

mat

ids

join

ed a

t th

eir

cen

tro

mer

es.

Metaphase

Anaphase

Chromosomes line up on the spindle

equator; homologues are not paired.

Telophase

Interphase(NOT part of mitosis!)

CentromeresSPLIT

Sister chromatids separate.

Nuclei are re-formed; each nucleus has

two chromosomes of each type.

Cells have divided; chromosomes have

unwound.

Mitosis puzzle pieces

Pre

par

atio

n fo

r C

ell D

ivis

ion

Mit

osi

s p

rep

arat

ion

pu

zzle

Mit

osi

s

Mit

osi

s p

uzz

le

Interphase

Prophase

Metaphase

Anaphase

Telophase

Interphase(NOT part of mitosis!)

Meiosis I

Metaphase I Anaphase I

Chromosomes line up on the spindle

equator; homologues are paired.

Telophase I

CentromeresDO NOT split

Sister chromatids stay together, but

homologues separate.

Nuclei are not re-formed.

Meiosis II

Metaphase II Anaphase II

Chromosomes line up on the spindle

equator; homologues are now in separate

cells.

Telophase II

CentromeresSPLIT

Sister chromatids separate.

Nuclei are re-formed; each nucleus has only one chromosome of

each type.

Overview

Metaphase I

Anaphase I

Telophase I

CentromeresDO NOT split

Metaphase II

Anaphase II

Telophase II

CentromeresSPLIT

Ch

rom

oso

mes

lin

e u

p o

n t

he

spin

dle

eq

uat

or;

ho

mo

log

ues

ar

e p

aire

d.

Sist

er c

hro

mat

ids

stay

to

get

her

, bu

t h

om

olo

gu

es s

epar

ate.

Nu

clei

are

no

t re

-fo

rmed

.

Ch

rom

oso

mes

lin

e u

p o

n t

he

spin

dle

eq

uat

or;

ho

mo

log

ues

ar

e n

ow

in s

epar

ate

cells

.

Sist

er c

hro

mat

ids

sep

arat

e.

Nu

clei

are

re-f

orm

ed;

each

nu

cleu

s h

as o

nly

o

ne

chro

mo

som

e o

f ea

ch t

ype.

Meiosis puzzle pieces

Mei

osi

s I

Mei

osi

s I p

uzz

le

Mei

osi

s II

Mei

osi

s II

pu

zzle

Metaphase I

Anaphase I

Anaphase I

Telophase I

Metaphase II

Anaphase II

Telophase II