Question

what is meiosis?
the process of creating specialized cells for the purpose of reproduction
the phase of the cell cycle where a cell actively divides into two identical cells
when paired chromosomes exchange genetic information
when chromosomes fail to separate properly during meiosis

Explanation:

Meiosis is a type of cell division that occurs in sexually - reproducing organisms. Its main purpose is to produce gametes (sperm and egg cells in animals, spores in plants), which are specialized cells for reproduction. These gametes have half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell.

• The second option describes mitosis, not meiosis. Mitosis results in two identical daughter cells with the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell.
• The third option describes crossing - over, which is a part of meiosis (specifically prophase I), but it is not the definition of meiosis itself.
• The fourth option describes a phenomenon called non - disjunction, which is an error that can occur during meiosis, not the definition of meiosis.

Answer:

The process of creating specialized cells for the purpose of reproduction