recombination
Americannoun
-
genetics any of several processes by which genetic material of different origins becomes combined. It most commonly occurs between two sets of parental chromosomes during production of germ cells
-
physics the union of free electrons and holes in a semiconductor or of free ions and electrons in a plasma
Etymology
Origin of recombination
1820–30, for general sense; 1900–05 for current sense; re- + combination
Explanation
In genetics, recombination is the process of two organisms exchanging pieces of genetic material. It's through recombination that two brown-eyed parents can end up with a blue-eyed baby. Recombination is responsible for genetic diversity — in other words, for offspring that aren't just like their parents. It happens at various stages of reproduction, notably during meiosis when chromosomes swap segments of DNA. This science term comes up in chemistry and physics as well, when molecules bond together or ions and electrons are joined. Recombination, "be united again," comes from the Late Latin combinationem, "a joining together two by two."
Vocabulary lists containing recombination
Genetics - Inheritance and Variation of Traits
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Evolutionary Biology - Natural Selection - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Evolutionary Biology - Natural Selection - High School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It's not just the resurgence of ancient diseases, but the fact that pathogens can and will trade genetic information if they come into contact with one another, a process known as viral recombination.
From Salon • Apr. 24, 2025
Natural selection leaves subtle signatures on our genome, but these marks can erode over generations due to recombination, where segments of DNA are shuffled and diluted.
From Science Daily • Nov. 19, 2024
XEC is a recombination of two different, little-discussed subvariants: KS.1.1 and KP.3.3,
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 30, 2024
Moreover, fabricating tandem organic solar cells of these types are challenging because they need a robust interconnection layer capable of facilitating efficient charge recombination while maintaining high transparency.
From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2024
And during the recombination of DNA, the strategy of interposing base against base is deployed yet again to restore damaged DNA.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
