During which form of cell division does crossing over typically occur?

Crossing over typically occurs during meiosis, specifically in prophase I of this division process. Meiosis is the type of cell division responsible for producing gametes (sperm and eggs) in sexually reproducing organisms, and it involves two rounds of division. During prophase I, homologous chromosomes pair up in a process known as synapsis, allowing for the exchange of genetic material between them. This exchange results in increased genetic variation in the offspring, as the new combinations of alleles can lead to different traits.

Unlike meiosis, mitosis is primarily for growth and repair, and does not involve crossing over. Fertilization is the fusion of gametes, and binary fission is a method of asexual reproduction in prokaryotes that does not include any form of genetic recombination.