AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Because of recombination and independent assortment in meiosis, each gamete contains a different set of DNA. This produces a unique combination of genes in the resulting zygote. Recombination or crossing over occurs during prophase I.

Detailed explanation-2: -Meiosis is important for creating genomic diversity in a species. It accomplishes this primarily through 2 processes: independent assortment and crossing over (recombination).

Detailed explanation-3: -Independent assortment produces new combinations of alleles. In meiosis I, crossing over during prophase and independent assortment during anaphase creates sets of chromosomes with new combinations of alleles. Genetic variation is also introduced by random fertilization of the gametes produced by meiosis.

Detailed explanation-4: -In meiosis, there are two rounds of nuclear division resulting in four nuclei and usually four daughter cells, each with half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell. The first separates homologs, and the second-like mitosis-separates chromatids into individual chromosomes.

Detailed explanation-5: -Crossing over occurs in prophase I, and is where parts of chromatids swap over between homologous chromosomes. Independent assortment occurs in metaphase I and anaphase I, and is where the homologous chromosomes are randomly shuffled into the two daughter cells.