The correct answer is b) haploid cells.
Meiosis is a specialized form of cell division that occurs in the production of gametes—sperm and eggs in animals. This process reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in cells that are haploid, meaning they contain only one set of chromosomes (n). In contrast, mitosis results in diploid daughter cells (2n), which are identical to the original cell and are used for growth, repair, and asexual reproduction.
Therefore, while mitosis produces cells with the same number of chromosomes as the original cell, meiosis creates cells that only have half the genetic material, ensuring that when fertilization occurs, the resulting zygote has the correct diploid number of chromosomes.