Independent assortment in meiosis leads to genetic variation because:

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. Homologous pairs line up randomly at the equator

  1. Step 1: In metaphase I each homologous pair orients at random.
  2. Step 2: With 23 pairs in humans, there are 2^23 possible combinations of chromosomes in a gamete.
Answer
random orientation of homologous pairs.
Why not the others: Maternal and paternal sets do not travel together; sister chromatids separate in meiosis II without random pairing; chromosome number is constant.

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