In meiosis, the parent cell starts off as diploid. This means it contains two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent. During the process of meiosis, the diploid parent cell undergoes two rounds of cell division. The first division, meiosis I, separates homologous chromosomes, resulting in two haploid cells – each with one set of chromosomes. Then, during meiosis II, these haploid cells undergo another division, separating sister chromatids. The end result is four haploid daughter cells.
In summary, the parent cell in meiosis is diploid, and the resulting cells at the end of meiosis are haploid.