Grade 12 · CAPS

Grade 12 Meiosis

Life Sciences practice questions and a worked example

Grade 12 Meiosis covers the phases of meiosis, crossing over, how meiosis differs from mitosis and what happens when chromosomes fail to separate. The questions here ask you to identify a phase from a diagram and give visible reasons, name structures such as the centriole and the spindle fibres, describe crossing over, and explain the result of non-disjunction. They come from the NSC Paper 2 for November 2023, 2024 and 2025: multiple-choice and terminology items from Section A and diagram, data and passage questions from Section B, each with the marking guideline's answer.

Worked example

2.1 The diagrams below represent two stages of meiotic cell division. 2.1.3 Give THREE reasons for your answer to QUESTION 2.1.2.

Answer

- Pairing of homologous chromosomes is visible/ bivalents are visible - Development of spindle fibres - Crossing over is taking place - Centriole/ centrosome moved to opposite poles - Disintegration of the nuclear membrane

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Meiosis

Question 1 of 3

1.1.8 The diagram below represents the structure of chromosomes at different stages of meiotic cell division. Which ONE of the following chromosomes would be found in a cell during late Anaphase II?
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More practice questions

Explore additional Grade 12 Meiosis questions.

  • 2
    2.1 The diagrams below represent two stages of meiotic cell division. 2.1.1 Name structure: (a) B
  • 3
    2.1 The diagrams below represent two stages of meiotic cell division. 2.1.1 Name structure: (b) C
  • 4
    2.1 The diagrams below represent two stages of meiotic cell division. 2.1.2 Identify the phase represented in Diagram 1.
  • 5
    2.1 The diagrams below represent two stages of meiotic cell division. 2.1.4 Describe the process taking place at A.

Common mistakes

  • Writing "Metaphase" or "Anaphase" without I or II. The marking guideline needs the exact phase.
  • Saying that chromatids separate in Anaphase I. Chromosome pairs separate in Anaphase I; the centromeres split and the chromatids separate in Anaphase II.
  • Giving reasons that cannot be seen in the diagram when the question asks for visible reasons.

More Grade 12 Life Sciences topics

Aligned to CAPS Grade 12 Life Sciences — Meiosis. Curriculum source: CAPS for the FET Phase, Department of Basic Education.

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