A Level Biology Practice Exam

What type of division is characterized by the production of haploid cells?

1. Mitotic division

2. Binary fission

3. Reduction division

4. Equational division

The correct answer is: Reduction division

The production of haploid cells is specifically associated with reduction division, which is a type of cell division that occurs during meiosis. In reduction division, the chromosome number is halved, resulting in gametes that contain only one set of chromosomes (haploid). This process is essential for sexual reproduction, ensuring that when two gametes fuse during fertilization, the resultant zygote restores the diploid chromosome number. In contrast, mitotic division results in two identical diploid daughter cells, maintaining the original chromosome number, which is not characteristic of haploid cell production. Binary fission, commonly seen in prokaryotes, is a form of asexual reproduction where a single organism divides into two genetically identical organisms, which also maintains the diploid state. Equational division refers to the second stage of meiosis, known as meiosis II, where the haploid cells produced from meiosis I divide again but do not reduce the chromosome number further; instead, they separate sister chromatids, leading to the formation of four haploid cells overall. However, the term "reduction division" specifically highlights the initial halving of the chromosome number during meiosis I.