recombination
/ˌriː.kɒm.bɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ · re·com·bi·na·tion
noun
- The act or process of combining again or a second time. The recombination of the two firms' product lines required careful planning.
- The formation of new genetic combinations in offspring that are not present in either parent, typically occurring during meiosis. Genetic recombination increases variability in a population, giving rise to new traits.
- The reverse of dissociation; the process by which separate atoms or radicals combine to form a molecule. In atmospheric chemistry, recombination of oxygen atoms forms O₂ after a lightning strike.
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Did you know? The term gained prominence in the early 20th century when Thomas Hunt Morgan observed recombination of eye‑color genes in fruit flies, a discovery that helped establish the chromosomal theory of inheritance.