AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Whereas somatic cells undergo mitosis to proliferate, the germ cells undergo meiosis to produce haploid gametes (the sperm and the egg). The development of a new progeny organism is then initiated by the fusion of these gametes at fertilization.

Detailed explanation-2: -During meiosis, a diploid parent cell, which has two copies of each chromosome, undergoes one round of DNA replication followed by two separate cycles of nuclear division to produce four haploid cells. These cells develop into sperm or ova.

Detailed explanation-3: -Meiosis is the type of cell division that creates egg and sperm cells. Mitosis is a fundamental process for life.

Detailed explanation-4: -Thus, germ cells of both sexes undergo mitotic divisions in the embryonic gonad, but the female germ cells enter meiosis during foetal development, whereas this is a postnatal event in the male. Once the male germ cell has entered meiosis, the process continues without interruption until the haploid sperm is produced.

Detailed explanation-5: -Germ cells are the only cells that undergo meiotic division, which occurs during germ cell differentiation and involves mosaic recombination of homologous chromosomes. As a result, each chromosome of a haploid germ cell is an arbitrary assemblage of parts of the two homologous parental chromosomes.