Why does meiosis occur only in cells in the reproductive structures of the organism?

Answer 1

Meiosis is also called reduction division, because the result of meiosis is the production of cells with half the chromosome number of the parent cell (ie haploid cells). This is necessary so that when two gametes fuse during fertilization, the normal chromosome number is restored (ie a diploid cell).

If the chromosome number was not halved during gamete (germ cell) formation, the number would be doubled every time fertilization happened.

Somatic (body) cells do not undergo meiosis because the products of their division will not take part in fertilization. They divide by mitosis, which produces daughter cells with the same number of chromosomes as the parental cell. Mitosis occurs during growth, replacing damaged cells and asexual reproduction.

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Answer 2

Meiosis occurs in sex cells because sex cells must end up with half the number of chromosomes as normal cells after division.

Since mitosis produces 2 identical cells with the normal amount of chromosomes, a different process is needed in order to produce 4 genetically different cells with half the number of chromosomes as normal cells. This process is called meiosis.

Answer 3

it is so as in meiosis total no. of chromosomes reduced to half which is only required in sex cells not in somatic cells.Somatic cells have to copy as a whole so that the baby contains all the characteristics of his parents(which character is expressed is a total matter of chance),while in sex chromosomes both parents contribute equally.

Answer 4

bcaze to become different from their parents meiosis occurs only in reproductive cells or known as the germs cells. if it occurss in mitosis then a person would have a body of different lenght ie.hand legs and even the eyes. this would only occur when random fusion of gamestes and division if zygote takes place

Answer 5

Gametes are SEX CELLS-

Meiosis divides the sex cells... and mitosis divides somatic cells