Letter G

Gene duplication

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An extra copy of a gene.

Gene duplication is a key mechanism in evolution.

Once a gene is duplicated, the identical genes can undergo changes and diverge to create two different genes.

A duplication is the opposite of a deletion.</P> Duplications typically arise from an event termed unequal crossing-over (recombination) that occurs between misaligned homologous chromosomes during meiosis (germ cell formation).

The chance of this event happening is a function of the degree of sharing of repetitive elements between two chromosomes.

The recombination products of such an event are a duplication at the site of the exchange and a reciprocal deletion.

A remarkable class of duplications in which the duplicated region has popped up far away from home base has also been discovered.

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