What is the primary purpose of meiosis?

The primary purpose of meiosis is the production of gametes, which are the reproductive cells necessary for sexual reproduction. Meiosis is a specialized form of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in four genetically diverse gametes from a single parent cell. This process is crucial because it ensures genetic variation through mechanisms such as independent assortment and crossing over, which contribute to the genetic diversity seen in offspring when gametes from two parents combine during fertilization.

In contrast, the other options focus on processes that do not relate to the formation of reproductive cells. For example, growth and repair of tissues involve mitosis, which is a process of cell division that maintains the same chromosome number and is responsible for somatic cell replication. Cellular respiration is a metabolic process that converts biochemical energy from nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is used by cells for energy, but it does not involve cell division. DNA repair pertains to the cellular mechanisms that fix mutations or damage within a cell's DNA, which is also distinct from the role of meiosis in gamete formation.