Which process produces reproductive cells in sexually reproducing organisms?

Meiosis is the process specifically responsible for producing reproductive cells, or gametes, in sexually reproducing organisms. This specialized form of cell division reduces the chromosome number by half, creating haploid cells from diploid progenitors. In humans and most animals, this results in the formation of sperm in males and eggs in females.

The key feature of meiosis is that it includes two successive divisions—meiosis I and meiosis II—that lead to genetic variation through processes such as crossing over and independent assortment. This genetic diversity is crucial for evolution and adaptation, as it creates unique combinations of genes in the offspring.

In contrast, while mitosis is responsible for general cell division and growth, cytokinesis is the process that follows mitosis to divide the cytoplasm of a parent cell into two daughter cells. Karyokinesis refers specifically to the division of the nucleus during cell division. These processes do not produce reproductive cells, making meiosis the correct and specialized answer for the production of gametes in sexual reproduction.