In meiosis, how many times does a cell divide to produce gametes from one diploid parent cell?

• A. Three times
• B. Twice
• C. Once
• D. Four times

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that meiosis is a special type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half to produce gametes (sperm or egg cells).
2. Recall that meiosis consists of two main stages: Meiosis I and Meiosis II, each involving a round of division.
3. In Meiosis I, homologous chromosomes separate, reducing the chromosome number from diploid (2n) to haploid (n).
4. In Meiosis II, the sister chromatids separate, similar to mitosis, resulting in four haploid cells from the original diploid cell.
5. Therefore, the cell divides twice during meiosis to produce gametes from one diploid parent cell.