Final answer:
Anaphase I involves the separation of homologous chromosomes, while Anaphase II involves the separation of sister chromatids. Anaphase I is part of meiosis I, which is a reduction division, whereas Anaphase II resembles mitotic anaphase and is part of meiosis II, not reducing chromosome number further.
Step-by-step explanation:
Anaphase I and Anaphase II are distinct phases within the process of meiosis. During Anaphase I, homologous chromosomes are separated and pulled to opposite poles of the cell. This is the first stage in which the cell begins the process of reducing the chromosome number by half, characteristic of meiosis, also known as a reduction division. Additionally, Anaphase I is marked by the separation of chromosome pairs rather than individual chromatids.
Contrastingly, Anaphase II resembles a mitotic anaphase, where sister chromatids, now referred to as individual chromosomes, are separated as the kinetochores divide. The kinetochore fibers from opposite poles pull each sister chromatid apart to the respective poles. Here, no further reduction in chromosome number occurs, hence Anaphase II is not considered a reduction division. Instead, the diversity among the daughter cells is created through crossovers that occurred earlier in meiosis I.
The key difference lies in the type of genetic material being separated: homologous chromosomes during Anaphase I versus sister chromatids during Anaphase II. The outcome is four non-identical haploid cells at the end of meiosis, each with one set of chromosomes.