Which process involves the creation of haploid cells?

The process that involves the creation of haploid cells is meiosis. In sexual reproduction, meiosis is crucial because it reduces the chromosome number by half, producing gametes—sperm and eggs—in organisms. This reduction is essential to maintain the species' chromosome number when two gametes fuse during fertilization, resulting in a diploid zygote.

Meiosis consists of two sequential divisions, meiosis I and meiosis II. The first division separates homologous chromosomes, leading to two haploid cells, each containing one of each type of chromosome. The second division then separates the sister chromatids, resulting in a total of four haploid cells.

In contrast, mitosis is a process that produces two genetically identical diploid daughter cells for growth and repair. Binary fission is a form of asexual reproduction primarily found in prokaryotic organisms, resulting in two identical cells. Cellular respiration is a metabolic process that converts glucose and oxygen into energy, not directly involving cell division or the production of haploid cells.