Significance of Meiosis
The significance of meiosis can be understood as follows:
- Sexual Reproduction: Meiosis creates such cells that further result in the formation of gametes. Thus, the reduction in chromosome number is important as without it, the fusion of gametes during fertilization would result in offspring with twice the normal number of chromosomes.
- Genetic Diversity: Meiosis results in new combinations of genetic material in each of the four daughter cells. This happens due to the exchange of DNA between homologous chromosomes that leads to a range of genetic variations.
- Gamete Production: Meiosis results in the formation of sex cells or gametes which are responsible for sexual reproduction. It maintains the constant number of chromosomes in the organisms as in gametes the chromosomes get reduced to half and after the fertilization of gametes the zygote contains a complete set of chromosomes.
Significance of Meiosis
The significance of meiosis is to conserve the genetic material across the generations in sexually reproducing organisms. This process takes place during gamete formation and leads to the reduction of genetic material into half because after fertilization the genetic material doubles. Thus, this process is also called reductional division, particularly Meiosis I. The process of meiosis consists of two stages – Meiosis I and Meiosis II. Sperms and eggs are the gametes or sex cells that form after meiosis. Meiosis is a very important type of cell division in the life of an organism.
Table of Content
- What is Meiosis?
- Stages of Meiosis
- Diagram of Meiosis
- Features of Meiosis
- Significance of Meiosis