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The leptotene stage is the initial phase of prophase I during meiosis. In this stage, chromosomes begin to condense and appear as long, thin threads within the cell nucleus. This is part of the process where homologous chromosomes prepare to pair up, a crucial step for genetic recombination and the formation of gametes. The leptotene stage precedes synapsis, where the homologous chromosomes will align side-by-side.1234

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