Which of the following best describes what happens to a cell's genetic material during the process of meiosis ii a) sister chromatids are separated from each other to form diploid daughter cells. b) homologous chromosomes are separated from each other to form diploid daughter cells. c) sister chromatids are separated from each other to form gametes. d) homologous chromosomes are separated from each other to form gametes.

C) Sister chromatids are separated from each other to form gametes.

Explanation:

The difference between mitosis and meiosis is that mitosis is completed in a single cycle and produces only two identical cells while meiosis has two stages meiosis I and meiosis II which produce 4 haploid cells which are not identical.

In mitosis, 23 pairs of chromosomes i.e. a total of 46 chromosomes arrange themselves in the center of the cell near equatorial plate and sister chromatids of these 46 chromosomes get separated so that each daughter cell could receive 46 chromosomes or 23 pairs. It means only two daughter cells are produced and each daughter cell gets diploid chromosomes.

But, meiosis is a bit different from mitosis. It is divided in two stages : meiosis I & meiosis II.

1) meiosis I : In meiosis I unlike mitosis, all the chromosomes do not line up in the equatorial plate, they line up in pairs instead i.e. homologous pairs get arranged so there will be 23 pairs of chromosomes arranged in the equatorial plate during meiosis I. At the end of meiosis I, 2 daughter cells will be produced each having one of the chromosomes of each pair and a total of 23 chromosomes each. So, we can say that during meiosis I, homologous pairs of 23 chromosomes will separate not sister chromatids.

2) meiosis II: In meiosis II, the sister chromatids of the 23 chromosomes which each daughter cell had received during meiosis I will get separated. Each daughter cell will give rise to 2 cells. So at the end of meiosis, 4 haploid cells are produced which are known as gametes.