centimorgannal

A centimorgan is a unit of genetic linkage, named after the American geneticist Thomas Hunt Morgan. It is used to measure the distance between genes on a chromosome. One centimorgan corresponds to a 1% chance that a crossover will occur between two genetic markers during meiosis. Crossovers are physical exchanges of genetic material between homologous chromosomes. The higher the number of centimorgans between two genes, the further apart they are considered to be on a chromosome, and the more likely they are to be separated during recombination.

Centimorgans are not a direct measure of physical distance in base pairs. The rate of recombination can vary across a chromosome, meaning that a centimorgan distance does not always correspond to the same physical length. However, they are a useful tool for geneticists to map the relative positions of genes and to understand inheritance patterns. Genetic maps are constructed using centimorgan distances, providing a roadmap of the genome that helps in identifying genes associated with specific traits or diseases. The term "morgan" is also used, with one morgan being equivalent to 100 centimorgans.