During this stage of meiosis, the cell starts to lengthen. The two homologs of each chromosome pair separate and move toward opposite poles, drawn by the microtubules of the spindle apparatus. This contrasts with mitosis, where the sister chromatids of each homolog separate and move toward opposite poles. In meiosis at this stage, the chromatids remain together as one complete, replicated chromosome.
Note:Ana is a Greek word meaning, among other things, back, which to Adolf Strasburger, the namer of this phase, referred to the chromosomes moving back into compacted nuclei.
