What is produced at the end of meiosis?

At the end of meiosis, four haploid gametes are produced. Meiosis is a specialized type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, creating four genetically distinct cells, each with one set of chromosomes, or haploid cells. This process occurs in two main stages, meiosis I and meiosis II.

During meiosis I, homologous chromosomes are separated, reducing the chromosome number from diploid (two sets of chromosomes) to haploid (one set of chromosomes). In the second division, meiosis II, the sister chromatids are separated, resulting in four individual cells. These cells are haploid, meaning they contain only one set of chromosomes, which is essential for sexual reproduction, as they can combine with another haploid cell from the opposite sex during fertilization to restore the diploid state in a zygote.

In contrast, the other options refer to the production of diploid cells, which does not accurately represent the outcome of meiosis as it is specifically designed to generate haploid cells. Thus, the production of four haploid gametes is the defining characteristic of meiosis.