Final answer:
When two genes are located in close proximity on the same chromosome, they are considered linked, and their alleles tend to be transmitted through meiosis together.
Step-by-step explanation:
When two genes are located in close proximity on the same chromosome, they are considered linked, and their alleles tend to be transmitted through meiosis together. For example, in a dihybrid cross involving flower color and plant height, if the genes are next to each other on the chromosome, the tall and red alleles will go together into a gamete, and the short and yellow alleles will go into other gametes.
There will be no gametes with tall and yellow alleles and no gametes with short and red alleles. As the distance between two genes increases, the probability of crossovers between them increases, and the genes behave more as if they are on separate chromosomes.
Geneticists use the proportion of recombinant gametes (the ones not like the parents) as a measure of how far apart genes are on a chromosome. Through this information, they have constructed elaborate maps of genes on chromosomes for well-studied organisms, including humans.