Final answer:
Recombination frequency in genetic mapping helps to infer the order and distance between genes on a chromosome, with the distances measured in centimorgans (cM).
Step-by-step explanation:
Using recombination frequency for genetic mapping allows one to determine two crucial aspects about genes. First, it can be used to infer the order of genes on a chromosome. Second, by employing recombination frequency values, scientists can estimate the distance between genes on the same chromosome by using map units, known as centimorgans (cM).
For example, if the gene for body color is at 65.5 cM and the one for wing size is at 48.5 cM on chromosome 2, the distance between them is calculated to be 17 cM apart. This means that during meiosis, the alleles for these two traits will recombine in approximately 17 percent of the offspring, which suggests a certain level of linkage between these genes. However, it must be acknowledged that as the genetic distance approaches a recombination frequency of 0.50, the accuracy of these predictions may decrease, as it becomes unclear whether genes are very distant on the same chromosome or located on different chromosomes.