According to Mendel's Law of Segregation, what happens during meiosis?

According to Mendel's Law of Segregation, during meiosis, pairs of homologous chromosomes separate. This law describes the process by which alleles for a trait segregate from each other during gamete formation. Each parent carries two alleles for a given gene, one on each of their homologous chromosomes. During the first meiotic division, these homologous chromosomes are pulled apart into different gametes, resulting in gametes that carry only one allele from each gene pair. This separation ensures that offspring receive one allele from each parent, leading to genetic diversity.

Understanding this process is crucial for grasping basic genetics and inheritance patterns. It underlines how traits may be passed on in a predictable manner, as seen in Mendelian inheritance. The other options do not accurately describe what occurs during meiosis: chromosomes are copied prior to meiosis but not during the meiotic process, gametes only receive one chromosome from each pair, and asexual reproduction is unrelated to the process of meiosis, which is specifically involved in sexual reproduction.