This article reviews current views on the mechanisms of meiotic homology searching and recombination. It discusses the relationship between molecular events at meiotic prophase and concomitant cytological processes. The role of the synaptonemal complex and other meiosis-specific structures is discussed. Whereas the relationship of crossovers, late recombination nodules, and chiasmata is well established, there is still some controversy about the temporal and causal relationships between double strand breaks, homologue recognition, heteroduplexes, early nodules and presynaptic alignment.