Final answer:
An individual that carries one copy of a normal chromosome and one copy that contains an inverted segment is described as an inversion heterozygote. Inversion heterozygotes have chromosomal rearrangements characterized by an inverted segment on one chromosome and a normal segment on the other. This type of genetic variation can have consequences on gene alignment and meiosis.
Step-by-step explanation:
An individual that carries one copy of a normal chromosome and one copy that contains an inverted segment is described by the term inversion heterozygote.
When one homologous chromosome undergoes an inversion but the other does not, the individual is described as an inversion heterozygote. To maintain point-for-point synapsis during meiosis, one homolog must form a loop, and the other homolog must mold around it. Although this topology can ensure that the genes are correctly aligned, it also forces the homologs to stretch and can be associated with regions of imprecise synapsis.
Inversion heterozygotes have chromosomal rearrangements characterized by an inverted segment on one chromosome and a normal segment on the other. This type of genetic variation can have consequences on gene alignment and meiosis.