Which statement about meiosis is correct?

• A. Process of reduction division in which the number of chromosomes per cell is cut in half through separation of homologous chromosomes in a diploid cell
• B. Process of growth identical to mitosis
• C. Process of replication of chromosomes
• D. Process resulting in diploid somatic cells

Answer: (A)

Meiosis is a reduction division that halves the chromosome number by separating homologous chromosomes in a diploid cell. This first meiotic division pulls homologous pairs apart, so the resulting cells have half as many chromosomes as the original cell. After this, a second division separates sister chromatids, producing four haploid cells that can participate in fertilization to restore diploidy.

This is why the statement describing reduction division with separation of homologous chromosomes best fits meiosis. The idea of growth identical to mitosis is not what meiosis does, since meiosis focuses on producing gametes rather than growing tissues. Replication of chromosomes happens before meiosis, but meiosis itself is not simply “replication”—it’s the division process after replication. And meiosis yields haploid gametes, not diploid somatic cells.