What type of cell division produces reproductive cells in sexually reproducing organisms?

Meiosis is the type of cell division responsible for producing reproductive cells, also known as gametes, in sexually reproducing organisms. During meiosis, a single diploid cell undergoes two rounds of division to produce four genetically distinct haploid cells. This process is crucial for sexual reproduction as it introduces genetic variation through processes such as crossing over and independent assortment. The gametes produced—sperm in males and eggs in females—carry half the genetic information necessary to form a new organism when fertilization occurs.

In contrast, binary fission is a method of asexual reproduction used by prokaryotic organisms, like bacteria, where a single cell divides into two identical cells. Mitosis, another form of cell division, is responsible for growth, repair, and asexual reproduction in eukaryotic organisms, producing two identical daughter cells with the same number of chromosomes as the original cell. Cytokinesis is the final process in cell division that involves the division of the cytoplasm, but it is not a type of cell division on its own. Thus, meiosis is specifically designed for the formation of gametes in sexual reproduction.