How many chromosomes are produced by meiosis?

Meiosis is a specialized type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number in the resulting cells by half, which is essential for sexual reproduction. In humans and many other organisms, meiosis begins with a diploid cell (containing two complete sets of chromosomes) and ends with the formation of four haploid cells. Each of these cells, known as gametes (sperm or egg), carries one set of chromosomes, which are not identical to each other due to the processes of crossing over and independent assortment that occur during meiosis.

The correct outcome of meiosis is the production of four non-identical gametes, each with half the chromosome number of the original cell. This ensures genetic diversity in offspring when fertilization occurs, as the egg and sperm will combine to restore the diploid number of chromosomes in the zygote.