Biological importance of meiosis
The meiosis is important for two facts:
- It produces gametes, haploid sex cells. By meiosis cells are obtained with half of chromosomes somatic cells. In this way, when uniting in fertilization with another gamete, the egg or zygote cell will have the number of chromosomes (diploid) of the species. If there were no meiosis, the number of chromosomes would double with each reproduction.
- Increases genetic variability. The genetic recombination of prophase I, wherein each gamete contains information from both parents, makes the seed contains a single genetic information. The natural selection (and artificial) determine which changes are beneficial or harmful, favoring the evolution of species.