Asexual reproduction increases genetic variation in a population. Which is a way that meiosis and fertilization lead to genetic variation?

Question

Alleles are recombined when gametes from different parents join together.
Mutations are usually repaired by cellular machinery before genes are expressed.
DNA is replicated when a fertilized egg becomes a growing embryo through mitosis.
Parents that are homozygous dominant for the same trait will have offspring that are also homozygous dominant for that trait

Answer 1

The correct statement that explains how meiosis and fertilization lead to genetic variation is:

Alleles are recombined when gametes from different parents join together.

This process occurs during meiosis through independent assortment and crossing over, where homologous chromosomes exchange genetic material. When gametes (sperm and egg) from different parents unite during fertilization, they create new combinations of alleles, contributing to genetic variation in the offspring. The other statements either do not pertain to genetic variation or describe processes that do not contribute to it.