Jain Biology: Significance Of Meiosis:

Haploid number of chromosomes resulting from meiosis ensures the diploid number in the zygote and subsequent vegetative cells. Hence a constancy in the number of chromosomes is maintained in the species.

Meiosis induces a very large number of variations, firstly by assortment of maternal and paternal chromosomes and secondly by cross-over. This is one of the ways by which variations are produced.Variations are the raw materials for evolution.