Final answer:
Meiosis and fertilization are essential processes in passing traits from parents to offspring. Meiosis involves the formation of haploid cells with unique genetic combinations, while fertilization combines genetic information from both parents to form a zygote.
Step-by-step explanation:
Meiosis and fertilization play crucial roles in passing traits from parents to offspring.
Meiosis is a specialized cell division process that occurs in the reproductive cells (gametes) of organisms. It involves two rounds of division, resulting in the formation of haploid cells with unique combinations of genetic information. During meiosis, homologous chromosomes exchange genetic material through a process called crossing over, which increases genetic diversity.
Fertilization, on the other hand, is the fusion of male and female gametes to form a zygote. The zygote has a complete set of chromosomes, with half from each parent. This combination of genetic information from both parents contributes to the traits and characteristics of the offspring.