Meiosis is a special form of cell division seen only in the germ cells of diploid eukaryotic organisms or the cells affiliated in some manner with the reproductive process. It is a necessary prerequisite at some point in a sexually reproducing organism's life cycle because it is the only means organisms have of reducing their chromatin content by 50% as a prelude to fertilization. Think about it a moment. If no reduction occurred in genetic content, then at each fertilization, the genetic content of the organism would double. In only a few generations, this doubling would fill the nucleus to the point where normal metabolism would be impossible. For a brief exposure to the differences between meiosis and mitosis, flip to the next card.
