Meiosis

• Cells in reproductive organs divide by meiosis to form gametes (sex cells)$\rightarrow$ Produces sperm and egg cells in animals, and pollen and egg cells in plants.

• During meiosis, the number of cells halves. In meiosis, the original cell divides 2x, forming 4 daughter cells. Meiosis produces 4 haploid daughter cells. Whereas mitosis produced 2 identical diploid daughter cells, meiosis produces 4 non- identical haploid daughter cells. Therefore during fertilisation, when the egg and sperm fuse, two haploid cells join to form one diploid cell. In the final diploid cell, half the chromosomes come from the egg (mother) and half from the sperm (father). contain 1 set of chromosomes each, they will be genetically different from one another.

Importance of meiosis

• Produces gametes e.g. sperm cells and egg cells in animals or pollen grains and ovum cells in plants

• Increases genetic variation of offspring

• Meiosis produces variation by forming new combinations of maternal and paternal chromosomes every time a gamete is made, meaning that when gametes fuse randomly at fertilisation, each offspring will be genetically different from any other