Overview of Meiosis

Meiosis is a type of cell division occurring in an organism's reproductive structures, or gonads, to produce genetically different haploid gametes.

In males, haploid gametes are sperm cells, and in females, they are egg cells. In plants, pollen grains contain male gametes, while ovules contain female gametes.

A cell undergoing meiosis first replicates its chromosomes during interphase, becoming a diploid cell (2n) with two sets of chromosomes. Through two stages of cell division, meiosis produces four genetically different haploid gametes (n).

Meiosis is also known as reduction division because it reduces the chromosome number by half. When a haploid sperm cell and a haploid egg cell unite during fertilization, the diploid number of chromosomes is restored in the resulting zygote.