Recombination is a biological process where DNA fragments are broken and rearranged to form new combinations of alleles. This process of recombination creates genetic diversity at the gene level, leading to variations in the DNA sequences of different organisms.
The human cell nucleus houses chromosomes that are structured as a series of genes. There are 46 chromosomes in each human cell, which are grouped into 23 pairs.
From a hereditary viewpoint, recombination refers to any process that results in the formation of gametes with allele combinations that did not exist in the gametes of the preceding generations.
Interchromosomal recombination occurs between alleles that are independently assorted with loci on different chromosomes. On the other hand, crossover among loci within the same chromosomes leads to intrachromosomal recombination. It's important to note that recombination occurs during meiosis in both these cases.
If meiosis results in recombination, the products are said to have a recombinant genotype. If no recombination takes place during meiosis, the resulting products maintain their original combinations and are known to have a non-recombinant genotype (parental genotype).
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