anaphase. In telophase I, cytokinesis is nearly complete and the new nuclei that have formed in the two daughter cells each have half the original total number of chromosomes; the chromosomes, still double-stranded, fade from view.
Interkinesis is the short period between the two division sequences of meiosis. No replication of genetic materials occurs during meiotic interkinesis since chromosomes are already double-stranded. The second division sequence, called meiosis II, is essentially mitotic in terms of mechanics although it achieves a different end than mitosis. Each double-stranded chromosome moves onto its own independent microtubule in the spindle that forms in prophase II; microtubules attached to the chromosomes at their centromeres reach from the chromosomes to the poles of the cell in metaphase II; in anaphase II, centromeres uncouple and single-stranded chromosomes move away from each other toward the poles; and the new nuclei that form in telophase II are haploid like the nuclei of telophase I but possess single-stranded rather than double-stranded chromosomes.
Meiosis is a great source of genetic variability for sexually reproducing species. Crossing-over occurs during prophase I when chromosomes lay side by side closely intertwined. Corresponding parts of chromatids from homologous chromosomes break apart and exchange with each other. Later on in prophase I, the point at which the cross-over took place can be seen and is indicated by the presence of a discrete point where the chromatids are joined, called a chiasma. Then, during meiosis II, this
