During meiosis, a specialized type of cell division that occurs in sexually reproducing organisms, four daughter cells are produced. These daughter cells are haploid, meaning they contain half the number of chromosomes compared to the parent cell. In meiosis, the parent cell undergoes two rounds of division, known as meiosis I and meiosis II.
In meiosis I, the parent cell's DNA is replicated, and homologous chromosomes pair up and exchange genetic material through a process called crossing over. The homologous chromosomes then separate, resulting in two daughter cells, each containing a unique combination of genetic material.
In meiosis II, the two daughter cells from meiosis I undergo further division. The sister chromatids, which are the replicated copies of each chromosome, separate from each other. This results in the formation of four haploid daughter cells, each containing a single set of chromosomes.
These haploid daughter cells are genetically distinct from each other and from the parent cell. They serve as the gametes (sperm or eggs) in sexual reproduction, and when they combine during fertilization, they restore the diploid number of chromosomes in the resulting offspring.