meiosis
meiosis(reduction division) A form of nuclear division whereby each gamete receives only one member of a chromosome pair (this forms one of the bases of Mendel's first law of genetic segregation) and genetic material can be exchanged between homologous chromosomes. Two successive divisions of the nucleus occur, with corresponding cell divisions, following a single chromosomal duplication. Thus a single diploid cell gives rise to four haploid cells. This produces gametes (in animals) or sexual spores (in plants and some protozoa) that have one half of the genetic material or chromosome number of the original cell. This halving of the chromosome number (2n to n) compensates for its doubling when the gametes (n + n) unite (2n) during sexual reproduction. Compare mitosis.
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meiosis
