What is true about the daughter cells produced from meiosis?

The daughter cells produced from meiosis contain half the chromosome number of the parent cell, which is the defining feature of this type of cell division. Meiosis is a specialized process that occurs in the formation of gametes—sperm and eggs in animals. It consists of two rounds of cell division: meiosis I and meiosis II.

During meiosis I, homologous chromosomes are separated, resulting in two cells that each have half the number of chromosomes (haploid) compared to the original diploid parent cell. Then, meiosis II divides these haploid cells further without additional chromosome replication, ultimately producing four genetically diverse haploid daughter cells. This halving of the chromosome number is crucial for sexual reproduction, ensuring that when gametes fuse during fertilization, the resulting zygote has the correct diploid number of chromosomes.

By contrast, the other options would not accurately describe the outcome of meiosis. The daughter cells are not genetically identical to the parent cell; they exhibit genetic variation due to processes such as crossing over and independent assortment. They are also not diploid, as mentioned. Lastly, while DNA replication occurs before meiosis begins, it does not happen again between the two meiotic divisions. Thus, the focus on the