What Is Zygotene Stage?

: the stage of meiotic prophase which immediately follows the leptotene and during which synapsis

What happens in zygotene stage?

During zygotene, homologous chromosomes begin to align along their entire length by a process called synapsis that is necessarily precise. Each pair of chromosomes is held together by a ribbon-like protein and forms the synaptonemal complex. Then, during pachytene, the pairs of chromosomes become condensed and coiled.

What happens in the stage of prophase?

During prophase, the complex of DNA and proteins contained in the nucleus, known as chromatin, condenses. The chromatin coils and becomes increasingly compact, resulting in the formation of visible chromosomes. Chromosomes are made of a single piece of DNA that is highly organized.