Sexual reproduction in eukaryotes increases genetic variation. In prokaryotes, transformation, transduction, and conjugation are mechanisms that increase genetic variation. A fundamental difference between the generations of genetic variation in the two domains is:A. Eukaryotic genetic variation occurs with vertical gene transfer while prokaryotic genetic variation occurs with horizontal gene transfer.
B. Eukaryotic variation occurs primarily within a single generation while prokaryotic variation occurs over many generations.
C. Crossing over is a major mechanism in creating genetic variation in prokaryotes while independent assortment is a major mechanism in eukaryotes.
D. Eukaryotes are able to generate mutations in response to environmental stress while prokaryotes only generate random variation.

Genetic variation is when the genetic content of the offsprings are different from that of the parents. It is a phenomenon achieved in different ways by different organisms. Eukaryotic organisms undergo sexual and asexual reproduction in which they transfer genetic material (DNA) to their offsprings. This process of transfer of DNA from parents to their offsprings is called VERTICAL GENE TRANSFER. In sexually reproducing organisms, meiosis is undergone where CROSSING-OVER is the process that increases the chances of genetic diversity.

However, in prokaryotic cells that use other methods like transformation, transduction and conjugation to increase genetic diversity among their species since asexual reproduction does not produce genetically different offsprings. Prokaryotes like bacteria transfer or receive genetic material (DNA) from other bacteria species that are not their offsprings. This process is called HORIZONTAL GENE TRANSFER.