What type of cells result from meiosis?

Meiosis is the specialized cell division that leads to the formation of gametes, which are the reproductive cells used in sexual reproduction. In humans and many other organisms, meiosis results in the production of sperm and egg cells. This process involves two rounds of division (meiosis I and meiosis II), which ultimately reduces the chromosome number by half, creating haploid cells from a diploid parent cell. Each gamete contains a unique combination of genetic material due to processes such as crossing over and independent assortment, ensuring genetic diversity among offspring.

Somatic cells are all body cells that are not involved in reproduction and are produced through mitosis, not meiosis. Identical daughter cells arise from mitosis, where one cell divides into two genetically identical cells. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells capable of giving rise to various cell types but do not result directly from meiosis. Thus, the correct understanding is that meiosis specifically yields gametes, which are essential for reproduction, marking option C as the accurate choice.