AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Fertilization leads to new, diploid offspring. Sexual reproduction results in genetic variation, or genetic differences, between parents and offspring. Offspring inherit one set of chromosomes from each parent. So, an offspring has a mixture of chromosomes (and alleles) from its two parents.

Detailed explanation-2: -Sexual reproduction results in infinite possibilities of genetic variation. In other words, sexual reproduction results in offspring that are genetically unique. They differ from both parents and also from each other. This occurs for a number of reasons.

Detailed explanation-3: -Specifically, meiosis creates new combinations of genetic material in each of the four daughter cells. These new combinations result from the exchange of DNA between paired chromosomes. Such exchange means that the gametes produced through meiosis exhibit an amazing range of genetic variation.

Detailed explanation-4: -Sexual reproduction provides genetic diversity because the sperm and egg that are produced contain different combinations of genes than the parent organisms. Asexual reproduction, on the other hand, does not need sperm and eggs since one organism splits into two organisms that have the same combination of genes.