Pseudolinkage
Okay kiddo, let me explain something called pseudolinkage.
You know how we have genes that determine things like the color of our eyes or our height? Well, these genes are located on tiny structures called chromosomes inside our cells.
Now, let's pretend you have two genes that are located really close to each other on a chromosome. When a cell goes through a process called meiosis to create new cells, these two genes are usually passed down together to the offspring. It's sort of like they're holding hands and don't want to let go.
But sometimes, something weird happens. During meiosis, these two genes may end up separating and getting passed down to different offspring. This is where pseudolinkage comes in.
Even though the genes aren't physically linked together anymore, they act as if they are. This means that certain traits that these genes control will tend to be inherited together more often than by chance. It's like they're playing a game of hide and seek, but they always end up getting found together.
Scientists call it "pseudo" (meaning fake) linkage because the genes are no longer physically linked, but they appear to be linked based on how they are passed down from generation to generation.
Does that make sense, kiddo?
You know how we have genes that determine things like the color of our eyes or our height? Well, these genes are located on tiny structures called chromosomes inside our cells.
Now, let's pretend you have two genes that are located really close to each other on a chromosome. When a cell goes through a process called meiosis to create new cells, these two genes are usually passed down together to the offspring. It's sort of like they're holding hands and don't want to let go.
But sometimes, something weird happens. During meiosis, these two genes may end up separating and getting passed down to different offspring. This is where pseudolinkage comes in.
Even though the genes aren't physically linked together anymore, they act as if they are. This means that certain traits that these genes control will tend to be inherited together more often than by chance. It's like they're playing a game of hide and seek, but they always end up getting found together.
Scientists call it "pseudo" (meaning fake) linkage because the genes are no longer physically linked, but they appear to be linked based on how they are passed down from generation to generation.
Does that make sense, kiddo?