30: Chromosomes and Linkage
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- 30.1: Introduction
- The gene is the physical unit of inheritance, and genes are arranged in a linear order on chromosomes. The behaviors and interactions of chromosomes during meiosis explain, at a cellular level, the patterns of inheritance that we observe in populations. Genetic disorders involving alterations in chromosome number or structure may have dramatic effects and can prevent a fertilized egg from developing altogether.
- 30.2: Chromosomal Theory and Genetic Linkage
- The Chromosomal Theory of inheritance, proposed by Sutton and Boveri, states that chromosomes are the vehicles of genetic heredity. Neither Mendelian genetics nor gene linkage is perfectly accurate; instead, chromosome behavior involves segregation, independent assortment, and occasionally, linkage. Sturtevant devised a method to assess recombination frequency and infer the relative positions and distances of linked genes on a chromosome on the basis of the average number of crossovers.
Image Source: 10 Drosophila Salivary Chromosomes. Elissa Lei, Ph.D. @ NIH
Description: Drosophila salivary gland polytene chromosomes. Highly replicated polytene chromosomes of the Drosophila salivary gland stained with DAPI (blue) and antibodies directed against gypsy insulator proteins Su(Hw) (green) and Mod(mdg4)2.2 (red).