OCR General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Biology Practice Exam

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What type of cells does meiosis produce during reproduction?

Diploid daughter cells
Haploid daughter cells
Blastocysts
Stem cells

The correct answer is: Haploid daughter cells

Meiosis is a specialized form of cell division that occurs in sexually reproducing organisms, and its primary function is to produce gametes—sperm and eggs in animals. This process results in the formation of haploid daughter cells, meaning that these cells contain half the number of chromosomes compared to the original diploid parent cell. In humans, for instance, this means reducing the chromosome number from 46 (diploid) to 23 (haploid) during meiosis. The significance of producing haploid cells is crucial for sexual reproduction. When two gametes (one from each parent) fuse during fertilization, they restore the diploid state in the resulting zygote, ensuring genetic diversity and the proper number of chromosomes in the offspring. This mechanism is essential for maintaining the stability of the species' chromosome count across generations. The other options do not accurately describe the outcome of meiosis. Diploid daughter cells result from mitosis, while blastocysts refer to a stage of embryonic development, and stem cells are undifferentiated cells with the potential to develop into various cell types but are not specifically produced by meiosis. Thus, the understanding that meiosis specifically generates haploid daughter cells is fundamental to the concepts of genetics and reproduction