This is the first comprehensive review and discussion of meiosis, the antithesis of fertilization. Meiosis is a special form of nuclear division "invented" by sexually reproducing eukaryotes to ensure that a correct chromosome complement is maintained over successive generations. In this masterly treatment, the author describes the scheduling, mechanisms, biochemistry and the genetic control of the events of meiosis in sexual systems as well as the variants adopted by subsexual forms. This will be an essential text for upper division students and research workers in genetics, cytology and cell biology.