The Essence of Meiosis is That __________________________________

Question

The essence of meiosis is that __________________________________.  
A) one gamete receives the maternal chromosomes, and the other gamete receives the paternal chromosomes
B) diploid gametes are formed
C) gametes are formed after one cell division
D) diploid spores are formed
E) haploid gametes are formed

Accepted Answer

The essence of meiosis is the formation of haploid gametes, through two rounds of cell division that results in the separation of homologous chromosomes (in meiosis I) and sister chromatids (in meiosis II). This process ensures genetic diversity in offspring as it shuffles genetic material between the homologous chromosomes during crossing over in prophase I of meiosis I. Therefore, option E best describes the essence of meiosis.