Why does meiosis create 4 haploid cells? What are they used for?

Question

Please explain in detail but in the simplest words possible.

Answer 1

Meiosis is a process of cellular division that creates gametes, or sex cells. Those would be sperm or eggs.

In general, meiosis starts off with a simple mitotic division, where a cell simply copies all the chromosomes inside and divides to create two cells. Each of these two cells then undergoes another similar division, except the chromosomes are not copied; homologous chromosomes, or the pairs of chromosomes carrrying similar genes, are separated, so that each of the resulting cells has half the DNA, making it called haploid. Also, the four resulting cells are not identical, despite having orginated from the same cell! :D

The cells are used for sexual reproduction, and are the reason why we don't all look like clones of our parents - the meiotic divisions are part of what allow for the continual recombination of genes in sexually reproducing species.

Answer 2

Meiosis is used ##########-reproduction in humans and other organisms. it creates 4 haploid cells so that it will transfer only half of the chromosomes, because if it transfers all the chromosomes you get a cell with double the normal amount of chromosomes. the 4 haploid cells are also called the sex cells or the sperm and egg, which are used to make new human beings.