What is the primary purpose of meiosis in living organisms?

The primary purpose of meiosis in living organisms is the production of gametes. Meiosis is a specialized form of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in four genetically diverse daughter cells. This process is essential for sexual reproduction because it leads to the formation of sperm and eggs (or pollen and ovules in plants), which are the gametes required for fertilization.

During meiosis, homologous chromosomes undergo recombination and segregation, which introduces genetic diversity among the resulting gametes. This genetic variation is crucial for the adaptation and evolution of species. Without meiosis, organisms would continue to pass on diploid (two sets of chromosomes) genetic information without any variation, which would limit genetic diversity in future generations.

The other options do not represent the primary role of meiosis; cell repair and tissue growth are primarily functions of mitosis, while DNA replication occurs during the S phase of the cell cycle prior to either mitosis or meiosis.