Why is meiosis referred to as reductional division?
Meiosis (meion = to lessen, referring to the reduction of the chromosome number) is the kind of cell division that produces the sex cells or the gametes. It takes place in the reproductive organs (testis and ovary) in human to produce sperms and ova. In the flowering plants, it takes place in the anthers and the ovary to produce pollen grains and ovules.
The most significant aspect of meiosis is that the number of chromosomes in the sex cells is halved. For example, out of the 23 pairs of chromosomes in humans only single chromosomes i.e. one member of each pair (haploid) are passed on to the sex cells. This is essential because when the male and female gametes fuse during fertilization, the normal double (diploid) number of chromosomes is reacquired. The diploid number, as a rule, is expressed as “2n” and the haploid number as “n”.
Meiosis (meion = to lessen, referring to the reduction of the chromosome number) is the kind of cell division that produces the sex cells or the gametes. It takes place in the reproductive organs (testis and ovary) in human to produce sperms and ova. In the flowering plants, it takes place in the anthers and the ovary to produce pollen grains and ovules.
The most significant aspect of meiosis is that the number of chromosomes in the sex cells is halved. For example, out of the 23 pairs of chromosomes in humans only single chromosomes i.e. one member of each pair (haploid) are passed on to the sex cells. This is essential because when the male and female gametes fuse during fertilization, the normal double (diploid) number of chromosomes is reacquired. The diploid number, as a rule, is expressed as “2n” and the haploid number as “n”.
