Question 14

Meiosis produces gametes.

Meiosis is the cellular process specifically responsible for producing gametes, which are the reproductive cells in sexually reproducing organisms. This process involves two rounds of cell division that results in four non-identical haploid cells.

A) Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a form of programmed cell death that occurs in multicellular organisms, playing a crucial role in development and maintaining cellular homeostasis. It does not produce gametes; rather, it eliminates damaged or unnecessary cells.

B) Mitosis

Mitosis is the process of cell division that results in two identical daughter cells, maintaining the same chromosome number as the parent cell. While critical for growth and tissue repair, it does not lead to the formation of gametes.

C) Meiosis

Meiosis is the specialized form of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in gametes such as sperm and eggs. This process is essential for sexual reproduction, ensuring genetic diversity through recombination and independent assortment.

D) Glycogenesis

Glycogenesis is the metabolic pathway that synthesizes glycogen from glucose, primarily for energy storage. This process is unrelated to cell division or gamete formation and does not contribute to the production of reproductive cells.

Conclusion

Meiosis is definitively the correct answer as it is the only process among the options that produces gametes. All other options—apoptosis, mitosis, and glycogenesis—serve different functions in cellular biology and do not contribute to the formation of reproductive cells. Understanding meiosis is fundamental to grasping the mechanisms of sexual reproduction and genetic variation.