How many daughter cells are produced when a cell undergoes meiosis?

When a cell undergoes meiosis, the process results in the production of four genetically unique daughter cells. This is due to the nature of meiosis, which is a specialized type of cell division that occurs in the formation of gametes, such as sperm and eggs in animals.

Meiosis consists of two successive divisions: meiosis I and meiosis II. During meiosis I, homologous chromosomes are separated, and the cell divides into two, but these daughter cells are not identical because of the crossing over that occurs during prophase I. This process leads to genetic diversity, as portions of the chromosomes can be exchanged between homologous pairs. Then, meiosis II resembles mitosis, where the sister chromatids are separated, resulting in four haploid cells. Each of these cells carries a unique combination of genes due to independent assortment and recombination, thus ensuring that all four daughter cells are genetically unique.

This understanding highlights the significance of meiosis in sexual reproduction and genetic variation within populations.