A Frequency of Recombination That is Less Than 50% Implies

Question

A frequency of recombination that is less than 50% implies:
A) The genes are linked on the same chromosome
B) The genes are linked on different chromosomes
C) The genes are not linked and are on different chromosomes
D) The genes assort independently
E) The genes are not linked and are on the same chromosome

Accepted Answer

A frequency of recombination less than 50% means that the genes are located close together on the same chromosome and are less likely to undergo crossing over during meiosis, resulting in linked inheritance. If the genes were on different chromosomes or if they were not linked, recombination frequency would be closer to 50%. Option D is incorrect because if the genes assort independently, the frequency of recombination would be close to 50%. Option C is incorrect because if the genes were on different chromosomes, they would also assort independently and the frequency of recombination would be close to 50%. Option B is incorrect because if the genes were on different chromosomes, they would assort independently and the frequency of recombination would be close to 50%.