Which process reduces the chromosome number by half to form gametes?

• A. Meiosis
• B. Mitosis
• C. Cytokinesis
• D. Binary Fission

Answer: (A)

Meiosis is the process that reduces the chromosome number by half to form gametes. It starts with a diploid cell that duplicates its DNA and goes through two divisions. In the first division, homologous chromosomes pair and separate, halving the chromosome count. In the second division, sister chromatids separate. The result is four haploid cells, which become gametes (sperm or eggs). This halving is essential so that when two gametes fuse during fertilization, the resulting zygote has the normal diploid number. Mitosis, by contrast, preserves chromosome number and makes two identical diploid cells for growth and repair. Cytokinesis is the division of the cytoplasm after division, and binary fission is how many bacteria reproduce, not how gametes form.