How many cells are produced by meiosis?

Meiosis is a specialized type of cell division that results in the formation of gametes – the reproductive cells. During meiosis, a single diploid cell undergoes two rounds of division, referred to as meiosis I and meiosis II. The key outcome of this process is the production of four haploid gametes.

Each of these gametes contains half the genetic material of the original diploid cell, which is crucial for sexual reproduction. When two gametes unite during fertilization, the diploid state is restored in the resulting zygote. This mechanism ensures variation in the offspring, as each of the four haploid cells produced during meiosis carries different combinations of genes due to processes such as crossing over and independent assortment.

Thus, the correct answer indicating that meiosis produces four haploid gametes accurately reflects the essential outcome of this biological process.