Meiosis takes place in all organisms that reproduce sexually. In animals, meiosis takes place in the special cells of the ?

Meiosis, and its role in animal reproduction

Cell division is an essential process in the reproduction of sexually reproduced organisms. The process occurs in special cells, called gametes (or sexcells) and is carried out by animals. The number of chromosomes within gametes decreases from the usual diploid number to haploid during meiosis. Two successive divisions are used to accomplish this, meiosis 1 and meiosis 2. The result is that meiosis gametes contain genetic variation which is crucial for the development of new individuals (Collins 2021). The process of meiosis, which produces haploid zygote that is necessary to fertilize eggs, is crucial in sexual reproduction. The haploid and diploid gametes are fused during fertilization to create a diploid, which then develops into an embryo. The process allows for the creation of new individuals with a mixture of genes from both parents. This increases genetic variability (Sharma and al., 2016).
For species that have multiple sets of genes, meiosis can also be important in maintaining stable numbers of chromosomes. During meiosis, homologous chromosomes exchange pieces of genetic material, ensuring that the number of chromosomes remains the same from generation to generation (González-Ramírez et al., 2021).