During meiosis, each diploid parent cell divides
into four haploid daughter cells. This process involves two rounds of cell division, known as meiosis I and meiosis II.
During meiosis I, homologous chromosomes pair up and undergo a process called crossing over, where genetic material is exchanged between the chromosomes. This increases genetic diversity among the daughter cells. The homologous chromosomes then separate and move to opposite poles of the cell, resulting in two haploid cells with half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell.
During meiosis II, the sister chromatids of each chromosome separate, resulting in four haploid daughter cells, each with a unique combination of genetic material. These daughter cells are genetically different from each other and from the parent cell, allowing for genetic variation and diversity in offspring.