Explain Genetic Causes of Variation Practice Test

Meiosis makes gametes identical, so any variation must come only from differences in soil and sunlight.

Sexual reproduction reshuffles existing alleles through independent assortment, crossing over, and random fertilization, creating new combinations each generation.

Without mutation, no genetic differences can exist at all within the population.

Crossing over and independent assortment occur during mitosis, so new combinations arise in leaf cells and are passed to seeds.