The reason for daughter cells to differ from parent cells and also each other in meiosis is

The correct option is Segregation, crossing over and independent assortment.

Meiosis is a specialized form of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, producing four genetically diverse haploid daughter cells (gametes) from a single diploid parent cell. The genetic variation among the daughter cells and their difference from the parent cell are driven by three fundamental genetic mechanisms during meiosis:

1. Crossing Over (Recombination):
During Prophase I of meiosis I, homologous (non-sister) chromatids pair up and exchange segments of genetic material. This process, known as crossing over, breaks and reconnects DNA strands, creating entirely new combinations of maternal and paternal alleles on the same chromosome. This ensures that the chromatids carrying genetic information to the daughter cells are no longer identical to the parental chromosomes.

2. Independent Assortment:
During Metaphase I and Anaphase I of meiosis I, homologous chromosome pairs align randomly at the spindle equator and then separate. The orientation of each pair is completely independent of the others. Consequently, when the cells divide, the distribution of maternal and paternal chromosomes into the daughter cells is randomized. The number of possible chromosome combinations in the resulting gametes is $2^n$, where $n$ is the haploid number of chromosomes.

3. Segregation:
According to Mendel's Law of Segregation, the two alleles for a gene or the homologous chromosomes separate (segregate) during meiosis (specifically during Anaphase I and Anaphase II) so that each gamete receives only one allele or one chromosome from each pair. This physical separation and distribution ensures that each daughter cell receives a unique, single set of genetic instructions rather than the diploid pair present in the parent cell.

Together, segregation, crossing over, and independent assortment shuffle the genetic deck, ensuring that every resulting gamete is genetically unique and distinct from the diploid parent cell.