Here's why:
* Meiosis is a specialized type of cell division that reduces the number of chromosomes in a cell by half. This is crucial for gametes (sperm and egg cells) because when they fuse during fertilization, they create a zygote with the correct number of chromosomes.
* Mitosis, the other common type of cell division, produces two identical daughter cells with the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell. This is important for growth and repair but not for creating gametes.
