independent assortment of chromosomes

Cards (1)

  • When the homologous pairs line up in metaphase 1 and are separated in anaphase 1, it's completely random which chromosome from each pair ends up in which daughter cell, so the four daughter cells produced by meiosis have completely different combinations of those maternal and paternal chromosomes. This is called independent assortment (separation) of the chromosomes. This 'shuffling' of chromosomes leads to genetic variation in any potential offspring.