The final result of meiosis is haploid daughter cells that have 23 chromosomes each. These haploid daughter cells may act as gametes during sexual reproduction. This includes sperm and oocytes, which can later fuse together to form a zygote.
Meiosis is a process that occurs in sexually reproductive organisms. During meiosis, diploid cells come together to produce haploid cells, which may then go on to act as gametes. The aim is to share genetic information via chromosomes from the father and mother cells, leading to a new set of genes. When meiosis is complete, the daughter cell has 23 new chromosomes, which are formed from one member of a pair from the mother and father cells. This process is known as spermatogenesis in males and oogenesis in females. In addition to producing four gametes in males and one in females, meiosis allows for genetic diversity amongst organisms.
Meiosis is able to achieve genetic variation in several ways. During prophase one, chromosomes cross over. By metaphase one, they begin to independently align themselves to form new chromosomes that are unique to the daughter cell. Not only are the gametes genetically unique, they also give rise to genetically unique zygotes when they fuse with other gametes.
