There are far more genes than chromosomes. Studies of different genes that are physically linked on the same chromosome reveal inheritance patterns that are not Mendelian. These patterns have been useful for identifying genes that are linked to one another, and for determining how far apart they are on the chromosome.
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Genes on the same chromosome are linked.
Recombinant frequencies can be used to infer gene locations on a chromosome.
The patterns of inheritance of phenotypes determined by genes on sex chromosomes differ from those of genes carried on autosomes.
Genetic linkage was first discovered in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Its small size, the ease with which it can be bred, its few chromosomes, and its short generation time make this animal an attractive experimental subject. Beginning in 1909, Thomas Hunt Morgan and his students at Columbia University pioneered the study of Drosophila, and today it remains a very important model organism for studies of genetics.
Animation 12.2 Alleles That Do Not Assort Independently
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