Animal Meiosis Model, Small

Quick Answer: The animal meiosis model, small, is a compact teaching model of the stages by which an animal germ cell divides twice to form four haploid cells. The animal meiosis model helps students follow chromosome pairing, crossing over and the halving of the chromosome number.

Meiosis Stage by Stage

Meiosis has two divisions. In meiosis I, homologous chromosomes pair in prophase I, exchange segments by crossing over at chiasmata, line up as pairs on the equator in metaphase I and are pulled to opposite poles in anaphase I. Meiosis II then separates the sister chromatids much as mitosis does, so one diploid cell ends as four haploid cells, each genetically different.

A model of meiosis in an animal cell shows features that a plant version lacks. Centrioles sit at the spindle poles, and the cytoplasm divides by a cleavage furrow that pinches the cell in two rather than by a cell plate. In animals meiosis takes place in the testes and ovaries and leads directly to sperm or eggs, whereas in flowering plants it forms spores that later give rise to gametes.

Small is the only size information in the title. Actual dimensions, how many stages are modelled and whether they are mounted together or supplied as separate pieces are not listed, so check them against the stages your syllabus names.

Specifications

In the Genetics Lesson

• Teaching the difference between mitosis and meiosis in senior secondary biology
• Showing how crossing over and independent assortment create genetic variation
• Linking meiosis to spermatogenesis and oogenesis
• Explaining how errors in chromosome separation lead to conditions such as Down syndrome

Care & Handling

• Handle the small animal meiosis model by its edges; chromosome pieces on compact models are small and can break off.
• Keep it flat and covered to protect the colour-coded chromosomes from dust and light.
• If the stages come as separate pieces, keep them in sequence in their box so they are not mixed up.

Why Choose LabEquip

A compact meiosis model suits schools that want one on each group’s bench during genetics lessons. It sits in LabEquip’s biology lab products range, where the plant meiosis model shows the same process in a plant cell. Enquire about quantities through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between mitosis and meiosis?

Mitosis produces two genetically identical diploid cells for growth and repair. Meiosis involves two divisions and produces four genetically different haploid cells, which in animals become sperm or eggs.

What is crossing over?

During prophase I, paired homologous chromosomes swap segments at points called chiasmata. The exchange produces new combinations of alleles on each chromosome, one reason why offspring differ from their parents and from each other.

Why must the chromosome number be halved?

Each gamete must carry one set of chromosomes, so that when a sperm fertilises an egg the zygote has the normal two sets. Without meiosis the chromosome number would double every generation.

How does animal meiosis differ from plant meiosis?

Animal cells have centrioles at the spindle poles and divide their cytoplasm by a cleavage furrow. Plant cells lack centrioles and build a cell plate. Animal meiosis produces gametes directly, while plant meiosis produces spores.

What does nondisjunction mean?

It is the failure of chromosomes or chromatids to separate properly in meiosis, giving gametes with an extra or a missing chromosome. An extra chromosome 21 in the zygote, for example, causes Down syndrome.

Where does meiosis take place in the human body?

In the testes, where it forms sperm continuously from puberty, and in the ovaries, where egg development begins before birth and each meiotic division is completed only around ovulation and fertilisation.

Last Updated: September 2026