Question

The most important function of meiosis is:

a. growth of the individual from a small body to a large body
b. the formation of sex cells
c. repair of wounds
d. both a. and c. are correct
e. none of the above is correct

Answer 1

The most important function of meiosis is the formation of sex cells.

Step-by-step explanation:

Meiosis is the process of cell division which produced haploid cells from diploid parent cells. It is called heterotypic cell division. This occurs in germ cells only.

In sexually reproducing organisms, male and female gametes fuse to form a diploid (2n) zygote. If the zygote had the same number of 2n chromosomes as somatic cells, then the zygote has a double number of chromosomes in each generation.

In reality, it does not happen. This is because of the meiotic division. It reduces the chromosome number into half. Thus fertilization does not double the chromosome number in the zygote. Meiotic division counteracts the effect of fertilization.

Meiosis occurs only in sexually reproducing organisms. In this division synapsis of homologous chromosomes takes place. The meiosis results in tetrads at the end and crossing over occurs in this division. The genetic constituents of daughter cells differ from the parent cell.

Growth of the individual from a small body to large body, and repair of wounds occur by mitotic cell division.

Answer 2

The formation of sex cells.

Step-by-step explanation:

Meiosis is the process of cell division in which a single parent cell divides to form the four daughter cells. The meiosis division is also known as reduction division.

The meiosis is generally important in the sex cells. The sex cells contains the half number of chromosome as compared with the somatic cells. This type of reduction division occurs in the process of meiosis. The sex cells are haploid cells that are produced by the process of meiosis.

Thus, the correct answer is option (b).