What is the significance of meiosis?
- Formation of gametes and spores: it helps in formation of gametes in animals and spores in plants.
- Maintain chromosome number: Meiosis helps to maintain the chromosomes number constant, generation after generation in a species.
- Promote genetic recombination: Meiosis promotes genetic recompilation.
- Responsible for genetic variability: it is responsible for genetic variability therefore the individuals of a given species differ from one another.
How chromosome number remain the same in the members of the same species? Why is meiosis called reducational cell division.? Chromosome number for every species is constant. It remain the same generation after generation. For example, human beings have 46 chromosomes while garden peas have 14 chromosomes. The chromosome number remains the same in the membrane of the same species because of meiosis. Meiosis is a type division in which the number of chromosomes is reduced to half in the gametes. That is why it is also called the reduction division. When the two gametes the male and female gametes unite during fertilization chromosome number is restored for a species. Hence meiosis helps in maintaining chromosome number constant from generation to generation.
