What happens in meiosis 1 but not meiosis 2?
William Harris
Updated on February 14, 2026
Meiosis I includes crossing over or recombination of genetic material between chromosome pairs, while meiosis II does not. This occurs in meiosis I in a long and complicated prophase I, split into five sub-phases. The equatorial plane in meiosis II is rotated 90° from the alignment of the equatorial plane in meiosis I.