How does independent assortment increase diversity in populations of organisms that reproduce sexually? A Independent assortment results in homologous chromosome pairs containing the same allele for each gene. B Independent assortment produces offspring that inherit the same alleles from the same parent. C Independent assortment leads to a variety of possible combinations of materna and paternal chromosomes in the resulting gametes. D Independent assortment increases the chances that mutations during crossing-over will occur and produce new traits

## Step 1<br />Independent assortment is a process that occurs during meiosis, a type of cell division that results in four daughter cells each cell. This process is crucial in sexual reproduction as it ensures that each gamete (sex cell) carries a unique combination of genes.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />During meiosis, homologous chromosomes (one from each parent) are separated into different cells. This means that each gamete a unique combination of genes from the mother and the father.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />This process of independent assortment increases the genetic diversity within a population. This is because each gamete carries a unique combination of genes, which can then be combined in different ways during fertilization to produce offspring with a wide variety of genetic combinations.<br /><br />## Step 4<br />Looking at the options provided, option C accurately describes this process. It states that independent assortment leads to a variety of possible combinations of maternal and paternal chromosomes in the resulting gametes. This is exactly what happens during independent assortment.