Biology as Poetry: Genetics

Bacteriophage Ecology Group

Recombinant

Non-parental type progeny.

Recombinants are products of crosses where at least two loci are considered and the combination of phenotypes – or, indeed, genotypes – in those individuals does not match those combinations seen in the parents. The assumption, therefore, are that these progeny represent a genetic combination of the alleles associated with the two parents, that is, that they are products of genetic recombination.

Note that all progeny of sexual reproduction are products of genetic recombination. They tend to be described as recombinants, however, only if the loci/alleles under consideration themselves have recombined. Importantly, this recombination is less likely the more closely two loci are linked.

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