Subject: What causes homologous genes to come together in pairs during synapsis?

my name is Cory Weng.  I am a freshman at Kennedy High School. I am currently enrolled in a Molecular Biology class.  We have been learning about DNA and genes and how it controls our characteristics.  We learned that Meiosis occurs to create gametes ( an important step in Sexual Reproduction).  Synapsis is one of the major steps in Meiosis.  The comming together of the Homologous Chromosomes is the first difference between Mitosis and Meiosis.  I was wondering what causes synapsis to occur and therefore causing Meiosis.  This will help me comprehend how the evolution of more complex animals and sexual reprodution first occurred. (sexual reproduction occurs in more complex animals compared to any other form of reproduction. Sexual reproduction offers more to a species bacause the variety of different genes.) I hope you can help answer my question. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Cory Weng

C/o Ms. St. John
rstjohn@webtv.net

 

Re: What causes homologous genes to come together in pairs during synapsis?