Why is meiosis important for sexual reproduction?

• A. Genetic diversity and production of gametes.
• B. It doubles chromosome number.
• C. It creates identical daughter cells.
• D. It prevents mutation.

Answer: (A)

Meiosis is about producing genetic diversity and haploid gametes for sexual reproduction. During meiosis, crossing over in prophase I swaps genetic material between homologous chromosomes, creating new allele combinations. The random alignment and separation of homologous chromosomes in metaphase I and anaphase I—the independent assortment process—further mixes genes. Then meiosis II separates sister chromatids, yielding four unique haploid gametes. When these gametes fuse during fertilization, the resulting offspring have a new combination of genes, increasing genetic variation in the population. This variation is key for adaptation and evolution. The other options don’t fit: meiosis reduces, not doubles, chromosome number; it produces genetically diverse gametes rather than identical ones; and it does not prevent mutations.