Meiosis is the process by which a diploid cell divides to produce how many haploid gametes?

Meiosis is a specialized form of cell division that occurs in sexually reproducing organisms, leading to the formation of gametes (sperm and eggs). During this process, a single diploid cell undergoes two sequential divisions: meiosis I and meiosis II.

In meiosis I, homologous chromosomes are separated into two new cells, which means that each resulting cell will have half the chromosome number of the original diploid cell. This is followed by meiosis II, where the sister chromatids of the chromosomes are separated, leading to a total of four haploid cells being produced at the end of the entire meiotic process.

Each of these four haploid cells contains just one set of chromosomes, which is essential for sexual reproduction, as it ensures that when two gametes fuse during fertilization, the resulting zygote restores the diploid number of chromosomes. Therefore, the correct answer is that meiosis produces four haploid gametes.