Final answer:
Independent assortment refers to the concept during meiosis that the distribution of one chromosome is independent of the distribution of another, contributing to genetic diversity. Genetic recombination, achieved through crossing over, is another contributor to diversity and is influenced by the distance between genes on a chromosome.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept that the distribution of one chromosome does not affect the distribution of any other chromosome during meiosis is known as independent assortment. This concept underlies Mendel's law of independent assortment, which is physically manifested in meiosis when chromosomes align randomly during metaphase I. Here, each pair of homologous chromosomes, one from the mother and one from the father, align independently of all other chromosomes. The result is that different combinations of maternal and paternal chromosomes are passed to the gametes, contributing to genetic diversity.
Genetic recombination also contributes to genetic diversity, but it occurs through the process of crossing over. Recombination between homologous chromosomes can result in maternal and paternal alleles being recombined on the same chromosome, especially when genes are far apart on the chromosome and thus more likely to be affected by recombination events. This, too, allows alleles to sort independently due to random recombination.
Chromosomal crossover is a critical mechanism during meiosis where genetic material is exchanged between homologous chromosomes. It is not entirely random as the likelihood of crossover between two genes depends on their distance from each other on the chromosome. If the genes are very close, they are less likely to experience crossover and will tend to be inherited together. Conversely, if they are far apart, they may assort independently, just as if they were on different chromosomes.