Advanced Placement (AP) Biology Practice Exam

Which type of cells are produced by meiosis?

1. Somatic cells

2. Sister chromatids

3. Gametes

4. Diploid cells

The correct answer is: Gametes

Meiosis is a specialized type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half and is fundamental for sexual reproduction. The process results in the production of gametes, which are the reproductive cells (sperm and eggs in animals). These cells are haploid, meaning they contain only one set of chromosomes, as opposed to diploid cells, which have two sets of chromosomes. During meiosis, the diploid parent cell undergoes two rounds of division (meiosis I and meiosis II), leading to the formation of four non-identical haploid cells. These gametes are genetically diverse due to processes such as crossing over and independent assortment, which contribute to genetic variation in offspring when fertilization occurs. In contrast, somatic cells refer to all other body cells that are not involved in reproduction and are produced by mitosis, not meiosis. Sister chromatids are duplicated chromosomes that are the result of DNA replication before cells divide and are an intermediate step in cell division but not the final product of meiosis. Lastly, diploid cells, which contain two complete sets of chromosomes, are the result of mitosis or fertilization, not meiosis. Thus, the correct identification of cells produced by meiosis as gametes is fundamental to understanding reproductive