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Once per life cycle, mitotic nuclear divisions are replaced by meiosis I and II – reducing chromosome number from the diploid level to a haploid genome, reshuffling the homologous chromosomes by their centromeres, and recombining chromosome arms by crossing-over. In animals, including humans, all this happens during the germ cell formation of eggs and sperm. These key events are accompanied by ancillary provisions at the level of chromosome core organization, sister chromatid cohesion, and differential centromere connectivity. Great progress has been made in recent years to further our understanding of these mechanisms. The current book addresses these processes and mechanisms in multicellular eukaryotes, such as Drosophila, Arabidopsis, mice and humans. The pioneering model systems of yeasts, as well as evolutionary aspects, will be addressed in a forthcoming volume.