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crossing over

American  

noun

Genetics.

  1. the interchange of corresponding chromatid segments of homologous chromosomes with their linked genes.

crossing over British  

noun

  1. biology the interchange of sections between pairing homologous chromosomes during the diplotene stage of meiosis. It results in the rearrangement of genes and produces variation in the inherited characteristics of the offspring See also linkage

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
crossing over Scientific  
/ krô′sĭng-ō′vər /

  1. The exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes that occurs during meiosis and contributes to genetic variability.

Etymology

Origin of crossing over

First recorded in 1910–15

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.