Final answer:
The process described is meiosis, which generates genetically unique cells through events like crossover and independent assortment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process that results in cells which are genetically different from the parent cell is meiosis. During meiosis, genetic variation occurs due to events like crossover, where non-sister chromatid segments are exchanged, and independent assortment, where chromosomes separate into different nuclei.
This process ultimately results in the production of four unique haploid cells (gametes) from a single diploid cell.
The key stages where genetic variability is introduced include meiosis I, where homologous chromosomes pair and exchange genetic material, and meiosis II, which resembles mitotic division but leads to further separation of chromatids into haploid cells. As a result of these processes, the offspring cells are genetically diverse from each other and from the parent cell.
It's important to differentiate this from cell differentiation, a separate process where cells become specialized and express different portions of their DNA despite having the same genetic material.