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Multiple Alleles

Making Use Of Polymorphic Dna



Multiple alleles and noncoding polymorphic DNA are of considerable importance in gene mapping—identifying the relative positions of genetic loci on chromosomes. Gene maps are constructed by using the frequency of crossing-over to estimate the distance between a pair of loci. To obtain a good estimate, one must analyze a large number of offspring from a single cross. In laboratory organisms such as the fruit fly Drosophila, programmed crosses can be carried out so it is possible to use gene loci to construct a reliable genetic map. In humans, this is not the case. For this reason, the more highly variable noncoding regions are of considerable importance in human genetic mapping.



Andrea Bernasconi

Bibliography

Alberts, Bruce, et al. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 4th ed. New York: Garland, 2002.

Strachan, Tom, and Andrew P. Read. Human Molecular Genetics. New York: Bios Scientific Publishers, 1996.

Additional topics

Medicine EncyclopediaGenetics in Medicine - Part 3Multiple Alleles - Examples Of Multiple Alleles, Polymorphism In Noncoding Dna, Making Use Of Polymorphic Dna