Meiosis is a type of cell division that reduces the number of chromosomes in the parent cell by half and produces four gamete cells. This process is essential for sexual reproduction and occurs in two main stages: meiosis I and meiosis II.
The final product of meiosis is four haploid cells. These cells are genetically distinct from each other and from the parent cell. Each of these haploid cells contains half the number of chromosomes as the original parent cell. In humans, for example, the parent cell has 46 chromosomes (diploid), and the final products of meiosis are four cells, each with 23 chromosomes (haploid).
These haploid cells are the gametes, which are sperm in males and eggs in females. When a sperm and an egg fuse during fertilization, they form a zygote with the full complement of chromosomes, restoring the diploid number.