Which of the following is NOT a mechanism that generates genetic variation? (Note: Mitosis is not a variation-generating process)

• A. Mutation
• B. Recombination during meiosis
• C. Mitosis
• D. Gene flow

Answer: (C)

Genetic variation comes from processes that alter the genetic material or shuffle alleles. Mutations introduce new DNA sequences, creating novel alleles that populations can act upon. Recombination during meiosis shuffles existing alleles, producing new combinations in gametes. Gene flow brings alleles from one population into another, increasing diversity within populations and mixing genetic material. Mitosis, in contrast, copies and distributes the same genetic material to two daughter cells, so it does not create new alleles or new allele combinations. The division by mitosis is about faithful replication and equal distribution, not generating variation, which is why mitosis is the mechanism that does not generate genetic variation.