What is the primary function of meiosis in organisms?

The primary function of meiosis in organisms is the production of gametes, which are the reproductive cells necessary for sexual reproduction. Meiosis is a specialized form of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in four genetically diverse haploid cells from one diploid parent cell. These gametes are crucial because they carry genetic information that, when combined during fertilization, creates a new organism with a complete set of chromosomes.

This process ensures genetic variation through the shuffling of alleles (gene variants) and the independent assortment of chromosomes, contributing to the diversity observed in populations. In contrast, the other options do not accurately reflect the main role of meiosis. Creation of new species is more of a broader evolutionary concept, while formation of tissues refers to processes like mitosis and cell differentiation. The replication of DNA occurs prior to meiosis during the S phase of the cell cycle, but is not a function of meiosis itself.