Recombination at the Molecular Level III

 

The two DNA molecules are now covalently linked in an "X"-like cross configuration, called a heteroduplex. As the chromosomes are pulled away from each other during meiosis, each double-stranded structure unravels so that the point of linkage "migrates" towards one end of the molecule. [Imagine that the centromere is to the left: pulling the A and a ends away from each other causes the branch to move in the direction  of the B-locus markers].

 


All text material ©2014 by Steven M. Carr