What is the purpose of meiosis?

The purpose of meiosis is to create gametes for sexual production with half the genetic material of the parent cells. In meiosis, four haploid daughter cells containing half as many chromosomes as the parent cell are created. These germ cells can then join during sexual reproduction to produce a diploid zygote. Additionally, meiosis creates genetic diversity through crossing over or recombination. During recombination, chromosomes exchange genetic material with each other. Recombination occurs during prophase of meiosis I, when homologous chromosomes line up in pairs and then exchange DNA.