Genetic recombination is the process by which a strand of genetic material (usually DNA; but can also be RNA) is broken and then joined to a different DNA molecule. In eukaryotes recombination occurs in mitosis as a common mechanism of DNA repair and in meiosis as a way of facilitating chromosomal crossover. The crossover process leads to offspring (called recombinants) having different combinations of genes from their parents, and can occasional...
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Genetic recombination is the process by which a strand of genetic material (usually DNA; but can also be RNA) is broken and then joined to a different DNA molecule. In eukaryotes recombination occurs in mitosis as a common mechanism of DNA repair and in meiosis as a way of facilitating chromosomal crossover. The crossover process leads to offspring (called recombinants) having different combinations of genes from their parents, and can occasionally produce new chimeric alleles. In evolutionary biology this shuffling of genes is thought to have many advantages, as it is a major engine of genetic variation and also allows asexually reproducing organisms to avoid Muller's ratchet.
In molecular biology "recombination" can also refer to artificial and deliberate recombination of disparate pieces of DNA, often from different organisms, creating what is called recombinant DNA.
Enzymes called recombinases catalyze natural recombination reactions. RecA, the chief recombinase found in E. coli,...
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