The segregation of genes occurs during gamete formation, which is the process of meiosis. This principle is known as Mendel's Law of Segregation, which states that during the formation of gametes, the two alleles for each gene separate (segregate) so that each gamete carries only one allele for each trait.
Specifically, segregation occurs during anaphase I of meiosis, when homologous chromosomes (each carrying one allele of a gene pair) are pulled to opposite poles of the cell. This ensures that each resulting gamete receives only one allele from each pair.
Mitosis produces genetically identical daughter cells and does not involve the separation of allele pairs into different cells. Fertilization is the fusion of gametes, which combines alleles from two parents rather than segregating them. Transmission of characters describes the passing of traits from parents to offspring and is a consequence of segregation, not the event during which it occurs.
