Answer to Question #115996 in Genetics for MAKHUOGA ALFRED FRIDAY

Question

Explain what is meant by the term ‘linked genes’ with respect to homologous recombination.

Answer 1

 Linked genes are genes that are likely to be inherited together because they are physically close to one another on the same chromosome. During meiosis, chromosomes are recombined, resulting in gene swaps between homologous chromosomes.

While homologous pairs of chromosomes are independently assorted in meiosis, the genes that they contain are also independently assorted only if they are part of different chromosomes. Genes in the same chromosome are passed on together as a unit. Such genes are said to be linked.