What does the recombination frequency represent?
Emma Payne
Updated on February 17, 2026
Recombination frequency is a measure of genetic linkage and is used in the creation of a genetic linkage map. Recombination frequency (θ) is the frequency with which a single chromosomal crossover will take place between two genes during meiosis.
Why do we use recombination frequency?
Using Recombination Frequency to Map the Human GenomeThe proportion of crossovers occurring between two genes can be used to indicate the distance between them, and thus enable the construction of a genetic map that illustrates how all genes in the genome are related in space.