What type of cell division results in gamete production?

Study for the Physician Assistant College Admission Test (PA-CAT). Use flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each question provides hints and explanations. Prepare for your exam!

The process that results in gamete production is meiosis. This specialized form of cell division is crucial for sexual reproduction as it reduces the chromosome number by half, producing four genetically diverse haploid cells from one diploid cell. This reduction is essential for maintaining the species' chromosome number across generations when gametes fuse during fertilization.

Meiosis consists of two rounds of division, meiosis I and meiosis II, each with distinct stages that ensure genetic variation through processes like crossing over and independent assortment. This diversity is important for evolution and adaptation, making meiosis essential for the formation of eggs and sperm in animals, as well as pollen and ovules in plants.

Mitosis, on the other hand, is responsible for growth and tissue repair and results in two identical diploid cells, making it unsuitable for gamete production. Binary fission is a method of asexual reproduction in prokaryotic cells like bacteria, where one cell divides into two identical cells. Cellular respiration is a metabolic process for energy production within cells, not a form of cell division. Thus, meiosis is the correct answer, as it uniquely facilitates the creation of gametes necessary for sexual reproduction.

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