What is a characteristic of meiosis?

Meiosis is characterized by two rounds of cell division, known as meiosis I and meiosis II. This process is specifically designed to reduce the chromosome number by half, which is crucial for sexual reproduction. During meiosis I, homologous chromosomes are separated, and then during meiosis II, the sister chromatids are divided. As a result of this two-step division, meiosis ultimately produces four non-identical haploid cells from a single diploid cell, which are essential for gamete formation in organisms.

In contrast, the creation of identical daughter cells is a hallmark of mitosis, and meiosis does not occur in somatic cells; it is restricted to germ cells. Additionally, meiosis results in haploid cells rather than diploid, since the primary goal is to ensure that when fertilization occurs, the diploid state can be restored in the resulting zygote. Thus, the defining characteristic of meiosis is that it involves two distinct rounds of division.