Senttimorganiksi

Senttimorganiksi is a term of Finnish origin that roughly translates to "centimorgan" in English. It refers to a unit of genetic linkage, also known as a morgan. One centimorgan represents a 1% chance that a crossover event will occur between two genetic markers during meiosis. This means that the closer two genes are on a chromosome, the lower the probability of a recombination event occurring between them, and thus the smaller the distance in centimorgans.

The centimorgan is a fundamental unit in genetic mapping. Geneticists use it to estimate the physical distance between genes on a chromosome. While a centimorgan is not a direct measure of physical distance in base pairs, there is a general correlation. On average, 1 centimorgan corresponds to approximately 1 million base pairs, but this can vary significantly depending on factors such as recombination hotspots and the specific organism being studied.

The concept of the centimorgan was introduced by Alfred Sturtevant, a student of Thomas Hunt Morgan, in the early 20th century. Morgan's work on fruit flies laid the groundwork for understanding gene linkage and chromosome mapping. The centimorgan unit is named in honor of Morgan's contributions to the field of genetics. Understanding genetic distances in centimorgans is crucial for identifying genes responsible for inherited traits and diseases, as well as for constructing detailed genetic maps.