Final answer:
Daughter cells produced by meiosis are haploid cells with half the DNA of the parent cell. They result from two consecutive divisions where homologous chromosomes and then sister chromatids are separated, eventually leading to four genetically unique gametes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Daughter cells in meiosis are haploid cells. During the process of meiosis, a diploid cell goes through two rounds of division to form four haploid daughter cells. Initially, the cell duplicates its chromosomes to form sister chromatids. In the first meiotic division, also known as meiosis I, homologous chromosomes are separated into two haploid cells. However, these haploid cells still contain sister chromatids.
Subsequently, during meiosis II, these sister chromatids are separated in each of the two haploid cells from meiosis I. This results in a total of four haploid cells, each with a single set of chromosomes, hence half the DNA content of the original diploid parent cell. These cells are essentially gametes and carry one copy of each gene, which is ideal for sexual reproduction as they will fuse with another gamete from the opposite sex to form a diploid zygote.
In humans, where the diploid number is 46 chromosomes, the haploid daughter cells will have 23 chromosomes. Moreover, due to the process of crossing over, the four haploid daughter cells are genetically unique, increasing genetic diversity.