How many chromosomes does a cell start with before meiosis How many chromosomes are in each of the cells made after meiosis?

Before meiOSis, a diploid cell typically contains 46 chromosomes in humans (23 pairs). After meiOSis, each of the four resulting haploid cells contains 23 chromosomes, which is half the original number. This reduction is essential for sexual reproduction, ensuring that when sperm and egg unite, the resulting zygote has the correct diploid number.