Practice question

Genetic variation in meiosis originates from crossing over exchanging segments between non-sister chromatids in prophase I, independent assortment of maternal and paternal homologs creating 2^n chromosome combinations and de novo mutations altering DNA sequence. These mechanisms diversify gametes and progeny. Binary fission is asexual prokaryotic reproduction involving duplication of single circular chromosome and equal splitting of cytoplasm without homolog pairing, recombination or reductional division, therefore contributes no meiotic variation in sexually reproducing eukaryotes. This principle is routinely tested in NEET, CBSE 11-12, CUET, CSIR-NET, GATE and MSc Genetics examinations requiring clear conceptual distinction.