Question

Give a reason for the following:
Gametes must be produced by meiosis for sexual reproduction.

Answer 1

Meiosis is a type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, necessitating the production of gametes for sexual reproduction. Gametes are haploid cells, which means that they contain half the number of chromosomes present in diploid cells (such as somatic cells). During fertilisation, the resulting zygote has the full diploid chromosome number when two gametes (sperm and egg) with half the chromosome number each fuse. Variation in the population is a result of the genetic diversity that is necessary for progeny to inherit a distinctive combination of genetic material from both parents.