Final answer:
The cell goes through interphase and replicates its DNA once prior to meiosis I, but does not replicate DNA again before meiosis II.
Step-by-step explanation:
During meiosis, the cell goes through interphase and replicates its DNA only once. This is similar to the process that occurs before mitosis, but with notable differences in the subsequent phases. Meiosis includes two successive rounds of nuclear division, known as meiosis I and meiosis II. Interphase, which precedes meiosis, consists of three phases: the G1 phase (cell growth), the S phase (DNA replication), and the G2 phase (final preparations for meiosis). During the S phase, each chromosome is duplicated to produce two sister chromatids held together at the centromere.
However, only before meiosis I does the S phase occur, resulting in the duplication of DNA. Following meiosis I, the cells may enter a brief interphase called interkinesis before meiosis II. Unlike the initial interphase, interkinesis does not include an S phase, so the chromosomes are not duplicated a second time. This ensures that each of the four haploid gametes produced by meiosis contains half the number of chromosomes of the original diploid parent cell.