Meiosis

Meiosis is extremely critical because its job is to check that all species produced by sexual reproduction include the right number of chromosomes we should have. This activity decreases the number of chromosomes in half, permitting the sexual reproduction process to prevail. Because meiosis produces cells that eventually becomes reproductive cells, this division in chromosome number is critical to the cell cycle. Without this process, the combination of two gametes during fertilization would result in an offspring with double the number of chromosomes it should have! This could lead to the death of the cell or maybe create a life threatening disorder with the offspring. This is how meiosis preserves the right chromosome number during our reproduction process. With it we can create healthy normal babies with a clean bill of health.

What are the sources of variation during meiosis?
Both meiosis and fertilization are the two primary sources of genetic variation in sexually reproducing organisms like us humans. This type of process provides genetic variation by three different ways. Through independent assortment, crossing over during prophase I in meiosis, and the erratic fusion of gametes during the process of fertilization, which is also another minor assisting source of genetic variation. This all results in the creation of an offspring with unique combinations of DNA than anyone else. This continual mixing of parental DNA in sexual reproduction contributes to the amazing diversity of human beings on this