Meiosis Sequence Worksheet - Cut, glue, and label the stages of meiosis.

Let’s go step by step to put the meiosis stages in the correct order.

Meiosis has two main parts: Meiosis I and Meiosis II. Each part has phases: Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase — plus Interphase at the very beginning (before meiosis starts).

Here’s what happens in each phase:

1. Interphase – The cell gets ready. DNA is copied. Chromosomes are loose inside the nucleus.
2. Prophase I – Chromosomes condense, pair up with their matching partner (homologous chromosomes), and may swap pieces (crossing over). Nuclear membrane breaks down.
3. Metaphase I – Paired chromosomes line up in the middle of the cell.
4. Anaphase I – Homologous pairs are pulled apart to opposite ends. Sister chromatids stay together.
5. Telophase I & Cytokinesis – Two cells form, each with half the number of chromosome pairs (but each chromosome still has 2 chromatids).
6. Prophase II – In each new cell, chromosomes condense again. No DNA copying here.
7. Metaphase II – Chromosomes line up single file in the middle.
8. Anaphase II – Sister chromatids are pulled apart.
9. Telophase II & Cytokinesis – Four total cells form, each with half the original chromosomes (now single chromatids).

Now let’s match the drawings to these steps.

Looking at the images (from top left to bottom right):

- Top left: Two cells forming → likely Telophase I
- Top right: Four small cells → End result / after Telophase II
- Second row left: Two cells with chromosomes lining up → Metaphase II (in both daughter cells)
- Second row right: One cell with chromosomes lined up in pairs → Metaphase I
- Third row left: One cell with chromosomes being pulled apart (pairs separating) → Anaphase I
- Third row right: One cell with big nucleus, chromatin visible → Interphase
- Fourth row left: Two cells with chromosomes being pulled apart (sister chromatids) → Anaphase II
- Fourth row right: Two cells with nuclei reforming → Telophase II
- Bottom left: One cell with condensed chromosomes, no pairing yet → Prophase I
- Bottom right: Empty? Probably not used or maybe a trick — but we have 9 labeled phases and 10 boxes? Wait — actually, looking again, there are 9 drawn cells + one empty box? Or maybe the bottom right is meant to be something else? Let’s count the drawings:

Actually, counting the boxes with drawings:

Row 1: 2 drawings
Row 2: 2 drawings
Row 3: 2 drawings
Row 4: 2 drawings
Row 5: 1 drawing (bottom left)
→ That’s 9 drawings. And we need to label 9 phases: Interphase, Pro I, Meta I, Ana I, Telo I, Pro II, Meta II, Ana II, Telo II.

So let’s assign them correctly:

We’ll go in order from start to finish:

1. Interphase → Cell with diffuse chromatin, intact nucleus → that’s the third row, right image (big gray circle with fuzzy stuff inside)

2. Prophase I → Chromosomes condensed, maybe paired, nuclear envelope breaking → bottom left image (one cell with X-shaped chromosomes floating)

3. Metaphase I → Paired chromosomes lined up in middle → second row, right image (cell with 4 chromosomes in two pairs along equator)

4. Anaphase I → Homologous chromosomes pulled apart → third row, left image (chromosomes moving to poles, still as double chromatids)

5. Telophase I → Two cells forming, each with half the chromosomes → top left image (two cells, each with 2 chromosomes)

6. Prophase II → Not clearly shown? Wait — do we have it? Actually, sometimes Prophase II looks like early Metaphase II. But look at fourth row, right image: two cells with chromosomes starting to condense? Hmm. Maybe we skip explicit Prophase II if not drawn? But instructions say to include all labels.

Wait — let’s re-express based on standard diagrams:

Actually, let’s list the images by position and describe them simply:

Image A (top left): Two cells, each with 2 chromosomes → Telophase I

Image B (top right): Four tiny cells → End of Meiosis II (after Telophase II)

Image C (second row left): Two cells, each with chromosomes lined up → Metaphase II

Image D (second row right): One cell, chromosomes in pairs at center → Metaphase I

Image E (third row left): One cell, chromosomes pulling apart (V shapes going to poles) → Anaphase I

Image F (third row right): One cell, large nucleus, chromatin → Interphase

Image G (fourth row left): Two cells, chromosomes splitting into singles → Anaphase II

Image H (fourth row right): Two cells, nuclei reforming → Telophase II

Image I (bottom left): One cell, chromosomes condensed, not aligned → Prophase I

That’s 9 images. We’re missing Prophase II? But maybe Image H (Telophase II) implies Prophase II happened before? Or perhaps one of the images serves double duty?

Wait — actually, in many simplified diagrams, Prophase II is skipped or combined. But according to the instructions, we must include “Prophase II” as a label.

Looking again — is there an image that shows two cells with chromosomes condensing? The fourth row right image (H) shows two cells with chromosomes inside, maybe condensing? Could that be Prophase II?

But then where is Telophase II?

Alternatively, maybe the fourth row right is Telophase II, and Prophase II is not distinctly drawn — but we still have to assign the label.

This is tricky without seeing the actual art style, but let’s use logic:

Standard sequence:

Start → Interphase → Pro I → Meta I → Ana I → Telo I → [cells divide] → Pro II → Meta II → Ana II → Telo II → 4 cells

So the 4-cell stage is the end.

In the images:

- The four tiny cells (top right) = final product → after Telophase II

- The two cells with dividing chromosomes (fourth row left) = Anaphase II

- The two cells with nuclei reforming (fourth row right) = Telophase II

Then what is Prophase II? It should be after Telophase I and before Metaphase II.

After Telophase I (top left: two cells), the next stage would be Prophase II — which might look like two cells with chromosomes condensing. Is that shown?

Look at second row left: two cells with chromosomes lined up — that’s Metaphase II. So between Telophase I and Metaphase II, there should be Prophase II.

Is there an image of two cells with condensed chromosomes not yet aligned? Not clearly. Perhaps the diagram assumes Prophase II is brief and not illustrated separately — but since the instructions require labeling it, we must assign it.

Maybe the bottom left image (Prophase I) is misidentified? No.

Another approach: Let’s number the images as they appear in the grid, left to right, top to bottom:

Grid positions:

(1,1) = top left = two cells → Telo I
(1,2) = top right = four cells → end
(2,1) = second row left = two cells, chromosomes aligned → Meta II
(2,2) = second row right = one cell, paired chromosomes aligned → Meta I
(3,1) = third row left = one cell, chromosomes separating → Ana I
(3,2) = third row right = one cell, nucleus with chromatin → Interphase
(4,1) = fourth row left = two cells, chromatids separating → Ana II
(4,2) = fourth row right = two cells, nuclei forming → Telo II
(5,1) = bottom left = one cell, condensed chromosomes → Pro I

We have 9 images. Missing Prophase II.

But wait — perhaps (4,2) is not Telophase II but Prophase II? Because in Prophase II, you have two cells with condensed chromosomes, and in Telophase II, you have four cells.

Ah! That’s it!

Let’s reinterpret:

- (4,2): two cells, each with chromosomes inside — could be Prophase II (chromosomes condensing in each daughter cell after Meiosis I)

- Then (4,1): two cells, chromatids separating — Anaphase II

- Then (1,2): four cells — Telophase II / cytokinesis complete

And (1,1): two cells — Telophase I

So revised assignment:

1. Interphase → (3,2)
2. Prophase I → (5,1)
3. Metaphase I → (2,2)
4. Anaphase I → (3,1)
5. Telophase I → (1,1)
6. Prophase II → (4,2) [two cells, chromosomes condensing]
7. Metaphase II → (2,1) [two cells, chromosomes aligned]
8. Anaphase II → (4,1) [two cells, chromatids separating]
9. Telophase II → (1,2) [four cells formed]

Yes, this makes sense.

So the correct order of the images (by grid position) is:

Start with (3,2) → Interphase
Then (5,1) → Prophase I
Then (2,2) → Metaphase I
Then (3,1) → Anaphase I
Then (1,1) → Telophase I
Then (4,2) → Prophase II
Then (2,1) → Metaphase II
Then (4,1) → Anaphase II
Then (1,2) → Telophase II

Now, to present the answer clearly for the student:

You need to cut out the pictures and glue them in this order:

1. The cell with the big fuzzy nucleus (Interphase)
2. The single cell with messy chromosomes (Prophase I)
3. The single cell with chromosome pairs lined up in the middle (Metaphase I)
4. The single cell with chromosome pairs pulling apart (Anaphase I)
5. The two cells just formed (Telophase I)
6. The two cells with chromosomes getting ready again (Prophase II)
7. The two cells with chromosomes lined up singly (Metaphase II)
8. The two cells with chromatids pulling apart (Anaphase II)
9. The four tiny cells at the end (Telophase II)

Final Answer:
The correct sequence of meiosis stages, matching the drawings from first to last, is:
Interphase → Prophase I → Metaphase I → Anaphase I → Telophase I → Prophase II → Metaphase II → Anaphase II → Telophase II.
Assign the labels to the drawings in this order based on their appearance as described above.