Letter R

Recombination

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The trading of fragments of genetic material between chromosomes before the egg and sperm cells are created.

Key features of recombination include the point-to-point association of paired chromosomes (synapsis) followed by the visible exchange of segments (crossing over) at X-shaped crosspoints (chiasmata).

Recombination is the principal way of creating genetic diversity between generations.

By shuffling the genetic deck of cards, recombination ensures that children are dealt a different genetic hand than their parents

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