pachytene
Sign in to saveAlso known as pachynema, GO:0000239, pachytene stage
The pachytene stage (/ˈpækɪtiːn/ PAK-i-teen; from Greek words meaning "thick threads".), also known as pachynema, is the third stage of prophase I during meiosis, the specialized cell division that reduces chromosome number by half to produce haploid gametes. It follows the zygotene stage and is followed by the stage diplotene.
~3 min read
Encyclopedic overview
8 sectionsContents
- Synapsed chromosomes
- Chromosome condensation
- Recombination nodules
- DNA repair
- The meiotic sex checkpoint
- Transition to diplotene
- Importance
- References
The pachytene stage (/ˈpækɪtiːn/ PAK-i-teen; from Greek words meaning "thick threads".), also known as pachynema, is the third stage of prophase I during meiosis, the specialized cell division that reduces chromosome number by half to produce haploid gametes. It follows the zygotene stage and is followed by the stage diplotene.
== Synapsed chromosomes == During pachytene, the homologous chromosomes are fully synapsed along their lengths by the completed synaptonemal complex protein structure formed in the previous stages. This holds the homologous closely paired, allowing intimate DNA interactions.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “pachytene” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.