How are gametes produced?

Gametes are produced through meiosis, a specialized form of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in the formation of reproductive cells — sperm in males and eggs in females. This process is crucial for sexual reproduction because it ensures that when sperm and egg unite during fertilization, the resulting zygote has the correct diploid number of chromosomes.

Meiosis consists of two rounds of division: meiosis I and meiosis II. During these stages, homologous chromosomes are separated and then sister chromatids are divided, leading to four unique gametes, each with half the number of chromosomes of the original cell. This genetic diversity is essential for evolution and adaptation. As a result, meiosis plays a key role in maintaining genetic variation within a population, a crucial factor for natural selection and evolution.