Independent assortment occurs during meiosis I, specifically at the stage of metaphase I. During metaphase I, homologous chromosome pairs line up randomly at the cell's equator, and this random orientation is the physical basis for independent assortment. The orientation of each pair is independent of the others, leading to the random segregation of maternal and paternal chromosomes into daughter cells. This process results in the production of gametes with different combinations of alleles, contributing to genetic diversity.
In summary:
- Independent assortment happens in metaphase I of meiosis.
- It involves the random alignment of homologous chromosome pairs.
- This random orientation leads to the independent segregation of chromosomes and alleles into gametes.
- This process increases genetic variation among offspring.
