Final answer:
An organism with three pairs of chromosomes has 8 different combinations of maternal and paternal chromosomes during meiosis, thanks to the process of independent assortment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The specific number of assortment combinations of maternal and paternal homologous chromosomes in an organism that has three pairs of chromosomes during meiosis can be determined by the formula 2n, where n is the number of homologous chromosome pairs. In this case, n equals 3, so the number of possible combinations is 23 or 8. Therefore, an organism with three pairs of chromosomes can have 8 different combinations of maternal and paternal chromosomes during meiosis. This biological process is known as independent assortment, which is a crucial factor in generating genetic diversity.