Meiosis occurs specifically in the reproductive organs of sexually reproducing organisms. In humans and other mammals, meiosis takes place in the testes for males and the ovaries for females, where it produces specialized cells known as gametes (sperm and eggs, respectively)
. More specifically:
- In males, meiosis occurs during spermatogenesis within the seminiferous tubules of the testes, producing sperm cells from spermatocytes
- In females, meiosis occurs in oocytes within the ovaries, beginning during embryonic development and continuing at puberty, ultimately producing eggs (ova)
Thus, meiosis is confined to germ cells in the gonads (testes and ovaries), where it generates haploid gametes essential for sexual reproduction
