What does meiosis ultimately produce?

Meiosis is a specialized type of cell division that occurs in sexually reproducing organisms. Its primary purpose is to produce gametes—sperm and egg cells—in animals. The process consists of two successive divisions: meiosis I and meiosis II.

Throughout meiosis, the chromosome number is halved. This reduction is crucial because it ensures that when gametes unite during fertilization, the resulting offspring will have the correct diploid number of chromosomes. During meiosis, a single diploid cell (having two sets of chromosomes) undergoes division to ultimately yield four haploid cells (having one set of chromosomes). These haploid cells are genetically distinct due to the processes of crossing over and independent assortment, which occur during the first division.

Thus, the outcome of meiosis is the production of four haploid cells, making the correct answer C. Recognizing the role of meiosis in reducing the chromosome number is key to understanding how sexual reproduction maintains genetic diversity and stability across generations.