Final answer:
The process described is meiosis, a type of cell division that starts with a diploid cell and results in four haploid daughter cells, each with half the number of chromosomes as the original cell. This is vital in the production of gametes for sexual reproduction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process in question is meiosis, which begins with a diploid cell. This complex form of cell division encompasses two rounds of division: Meiosis I and Meiosis II, each with the stages of prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase, followed by cytokinesis. Meiosis is essential for sexual reproduction as it creates haploid gametes (spermatozoa in spermatogenesis and oocytes in oogenesis) from diploid precursor cells.
Initially, the cell undergoes DNA replication to form chromatids, which then separate through the consecutive rounds of meiosis leading to four unique haploid daughter cells. These daughter cells contain half the number of chromosomes as the original cell, which is crucial for maintaining the species-specific chromosome number upon fertilization when two haploid gametes fuse to form a new diploid organism.