meiosis occurs during gamete formation in animals and during spore formation in plants. It is the process by which a cell nucleus divides to produce daughter nuclei each containing half the number of chromosomes of the original nucleus. It is alternatively called reduction division since it reduces the number of chromosome from the diploid number \((2 n)\) to the haploid number \((n)\). The significance of the process lies in the fact that it enables the chromosome number of a sexually reproducing species to be kept constant from generation to generation.