What is the Definition of Homologous Chromosomes?
Answer – Homologous chromosomes can be defined as a pair of chromosomes with the same chromosomal length, gene sequence, and loci. Homologous pairs consist of one maternal and one paternal chromosome.
Explanation:
Homologous chromosomes contain the same genes in the same loci along their respective chromosomal arms. They also have the same centromere placement. Despite having the same genes in the same order, homologous chromosomes can contain different alleles of those genes. Homologous chromosomes pair up during meiosis and allow for genetic recombination to take place. This enables random segregation of the genes from the maternal and paternal chromosomes and promotes genetic diversity. While females contain 23 pairs of homologous chromosomes, males contain 22 pairs. This is because the pair of sex chromosomes in males are not homologous (XY), whereas females contain homologous sex chromosome pairs (XX).
