When cells divide and become specialized in flowers, what is this type of division called?

The process referred to in the question, where cells divide and become specialized, is best characterized by meiosis, particularly in the context of the formation of gametes (pollen and ovules) within flowers. Meiosis is a specialized form of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, producing four non-identical daughter cells, which are crucial for sexual reproduction in plants. This reduction in chromosome number ensures that when gametes fuse during fertilization, the chromosome count restores to the species' normal level.

Cell differentiation, while an important process, is distinct from division itself; it involves the transformation of a less specialized cell into a more specialized cell type after division has occurred. Mitosis, on the other hand, is involved in growth and repair, creating two identical daughter cells with the same chromosome number as the parent cell, which is not the context of specialization in flower development. Binary fission is a method of asexual reproduction primarily seen in prokaryotes, like bacteria, and does not apply to flowering plants.

Thus, the correct answer highlights the specific process of division and specialization that is integral to the reproductive cycle of flowering plants, aligning with the context of flower development.