Meaning & use

homologous chromosome

noun·Academic

One of a pair of chromosomes with matching genes and structure, one inherited from each parent.

See it in a sentence

During meiosis, each homologous chromosome pairs with its partner before separating.

Humans have twenty-three pairs of homologous chromosomes in most cells.

A note on using this word

Homologous chromosomes carry the same genes in the same order but may carry different versions, or alleles, of those genes.

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