How does the process of meiosis, independent assortment, and allele segregation affect the characteristics that offspring inherit

It results in the production of new combinations of alleles due to which offspring can have different characters than both the parents.

In meiosis, the genes are randomly segregated and the alleles of genes are independently assorted to produce haploid gametes.

When the gametes of male and female fuses, they form the zygote with a unique or new combination of alleles as compared to that of parents.

It increases the genetic variations in the population.

as in mitosis, dna replication occurs during interphase.   in meiosis, it occurs specifically in s phase of interphase 1.