Final Answer:
The farther apart two genes, the _higher_ the probability that undetected crossovers will occur and the higher the degree of inaccuracy will be.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phenomenon described relates to genetic linkage and the likelihood of crossovers during meiosis. Genetic linkage refers to the tendency of genes located close to each other on a chromosome to be inherited together due to a lower probability of crossovers between them.
As two genes move farther apart on a chromosome, the probability of crossovers between them increases. Crossovers are events during meiosis where homologous chromosomes exchange genetic material. When genes are far apart, there is a higher chance of crossovers occurring between them during meiosis.
The probability of crossovers is often measured in centimorgans (cM), a unit of genetic linkage. One centimorgan represents a 1% chance of recombination (crossover) occurring between two genes. As genes move farther apart, the number of centimorgans increases, indicating a higher likelihood of crossovers.
This increased probability of crossovers leads to a greater chance of inaccurate genetic predictions based on the assumption of genes being inherited together. Understanding the principles of genetic linkage and recombination is essential in genetic mapping, where scientists analyze the inheritance patterns of genes to identify their locations on chromosomes and study the relationships between genes.