What are the two stages of meiosis where the first separates homologous chromosomes and the second separates sister chromatids?

The correct answer identifies the two distinct stages of meiosis as Meiosis I and Meiosis II, each serving a unique purpose in the formation of gametes.

In Meiosis I, the primary focus is on reducing the chromosome number by separating homologous chromosomes. During this stage, homologous chromosomes pair up and undergo recombination, followed by their division into two daughter cells. Each daughter cell ends up with only one chromosome from each homologous pair, thus halving the chromosome number from diploid to haploid.

Following this, Meiosis II takes place, resembling a typical mitotic division but without any preceding DNA replication. The goal of Meiosis II is to separate sister chromatids. Each haploid cell from Meiosis I divides again, ensuring that each of the resulting four gametes has a single copy of each chromosome, thereby completing the production of gametes needed for sexual reproduction.

This division into two specific processes—first separating homologous chromosomes and then separating sister chromatids—is crucial for genetic diversity and maintaining stable chromosome numbers across generations in sexually reproducing organisms.