Final answer:
In meiosis, cells in the ovary or testes produce gametes with half the number of chromosomes compared to the original cell, resulting in haploid sperm and egg cells with 23 chromosomes each.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a cell in the ovary or testes undergoes meiosis, the resulting cells contain half the number of chromosomes as the beginning cell. In the human reproductive system, the cells in the testes and ovaries, which are diploid, begin with 46 chromosomes. After the process of meiosis, which includes two rounds of cellular division, the resultant gametes (sperm and egg cells) are haploid, each with 23 chromosomes.
This reduction is vital for sexual reproduction because it ensures that when a sperm and egg combine during fertilization, the resulting zygote has the correct number of chromosomes—46 in humans, derived from 23 pairs. Thus, meiosis contributes to genetic diversity and maintains the chromosome number from generation to generation.