According to the Amoeba Sisters video recap of meiosis, what is the primary purpose of meiosis in sexually reproducing organisms?

• A. To create identical copies of somatic cells for growth and repair
• B. To allow organisms to reproduce asexually
• C. To increase the chromosome number in offspring
• D. To produce gametes with half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of meiosis. Meiosis is a type of cell division that occurs in sexually reproducing organisms to produce gametes (sperm and egg cells). It reduces the chromosome number by half, ensuring that offspring have the correct number of chromosomes when gametes fuse during fertilization.
2. Step 2: Compare meiosis to mitosis. Unlike mitosis, which creates identical copies of somatic cells for growth and repair, meiosis involves two rounds of division (meiosis I and meiosis II) and results in four genetically unique haploid cells.
3. Step 3: Recognize the purpose of meiosis. The primary purpose of meiosis is to produce gametes with half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell. This reduction is crucial for maintaining the species' chromosome number across generations.
4. Step 4: Eliminate incorrect options. The first option refers to mitosis, not meiosis. The second option describes asexual reproduction, which does not involve meiosis. The third option is incorrect because meiosis reduces, not increases, the chromosome number in gametes.
5. Step 5: Confirm the correct answer. The correct answer is: 'To produce gametes with half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell,' which aligns with the biological function of meiosis in sexually reproducing organisms.