Meiosis results in four haploid cells rather than two diploid cells. True or False?

Meiosis results in four haploid cells rather than two diploid cells, making this statement true. The process of meiosis is a specialized form of cell division that occurs in sexually reproducing organisms to produce gametes, which are the sperm and egg cells in animals.

Meiosis consists of two successive divisions: meiosis I and meiosis II. During meiosis I, homologous chromosomes are separated, leading to two cells, each still containing a full set of chromosomes (diploid). Then, in meiosis II, the sister chromatids of the chromosomes are separated, resulting in a total of four haploid cells, each with half the original chromosome number. This reduction in chromosome number is crucial for maintaining the species' chromosome number across generations when fertilization occurs, allowing the combination of two haploid gametes to form a diploid zygote.

Thus, meiosis is unique in that it effectively halves the genetic content in the resulting cells, producing four distinct haploid gametes, validating the statement.