What is the basis of the division of prophase I?

Prophase I:

1. Prophase I of meiosis I is a long and complicated phase.
2. Prophase I has five stages: leptotene, zygotene, pachytene, diplotene and diakinesis.
3. Prophase I is divided into different phases on the basis of the behavior of chromosomes.
4. During leptotene, the chromosomes appear in a bouquet pattern.
5. In the zygotene phase, the pairing of homologous chromosomes occurs by the process of synapsis.
6. During the pachytene phase, the crossing over and recombination occur between the bivalents or homologous pairs.
7. In diplotene, chiasma formed in the pachytene takes different forms and shapes.
8. In diakinesis, chiasma disappears.