Which statement best describes recombination frequency and its use in genetic mapping?

Which statement best describes recombination frequency and its use in genetic mapping?

• A. A measure of mutation rate in a population
• B. The age of the parents
• C. The proportion of recombinant offspring; a higher frequency indicates greater distance between genes
• D. The proportion of homozygous offspring in a cross

Answer: (C)

Recombination frequency is the proportion of offspring that show new allele combinations created by crossing over during meiosis between two genes. This frequency reflects how often recombination occurs between those genes: the farther apart two genes are on a chromosome, the more likely a crossover will happen between them, producing recombinant types. Because more recombination means greater distance, this measure is used to build genetic maps, with higher frequencies indicating greater separation. It’s typically expressed as a percentage and, in mapping terms, roughly corresponds to distance in centimorgans. The idea is not about mutation rate, the age of the parents, or the proportion of homozygous offspring—those describe different concepts.

Recombination frequency is the proportion of offspring that show new allele combinations created by crossing over during meiosis between two genes. This frequency reflects how often recombination occurs between those genes: the farther apart two genes are on a chromosome, the more likely a crossover will happen between them, producing recombinant types. Because more recombination means greater distance, this measure is used to build genetic maps, with higher frequencies indicating greater separation. It’s typically expressed as a percentage and, in mapping terms, roughly corresponds to distance in centimorgans. The idea is not about mutation rate, the age of the parents, or the proportion of homozygous offspring—those describe different concepts.