Which organisms perform meiosis?

Meiosis takes place in all organisms which sexually reproduce such as animals, plants, fungi. These organisms use sex cells to reproduce and pass along offspring to the next generation. In animals, female sex cells are known as ova or egg cells, and male sex cells are called sperm cells. Gametes are haploid cells, meaning they only contain one set of chromosomes. They have half the genetic material necessary for forming a new organism. In plants, the male sex cell, which is pollen, is formed in the stamens. The female sex cell, known as the ovum, is produced in the ovule of the plant. The male sex cell fuses with the ovum resulting in the formation of the first diploid cell of a new organism (zygote). In fungi, sexual reproduction occurs through the fusion of two haploid nuclei, known as plasmogamy. Some fungi have gametes which are released from sex organs known as gametangia. When two gametangia join together, the male gametangium moves into the female gametangium. Thus, they essentially function as gametes. In other fungi, the gametangia themselves can merge, enabling the nuclei to join together. In some advanced fungi, gametangia are not present. Instead, sexual reproduction is carried out by the somatic, or vegetative, hyphae. These hyphae fuse and exchange nuclei.