A gamete is formed by the process of meiosis. Meiosis can be described as a cell division process in which the chromosome number is divided into half so that after fertilization, the number of chromosomes in an organism can be maintained. Crossing over and independent assortment are two processes of meiosis which allow genetic variation to occur. The different alleles for genes which are present in the individual are called the genotype of the person. The alleles are passed from parents to offsprings. This genotype brings about the various physical traits which can be seen in an individual.
