recombination

American  

[ree-kom-buh-ney-shuhn] / ˌri kɒm bəˈneɪ ʃən /

Genetics.

1. the formation of new combinations of genes, either naturally, by crossing over or independent assortment, or in the laboratory by direct manipulation of genetic material.

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recombination British  

/ ˌriːkɒmbɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. 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

2. physics the union of free electrons and holes in a semiconductor or of free ions and electrons in a plasma

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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."

Example Sentences

Researchers found that when populations recover quickly, the increase in numbers can encourage recombination, a process that rearranges DNA into new combinations.

From Science Daily • Mar. 6, 2026

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

The 2009 swine flu strain arose from the recombination of several strains over years to become more transmissible in humans.

From Salon • Sep. 4, 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

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