Final answer:
Genes are said to be in coupling configuration when one wild-type allele and one mutant allele are both located on the same chromosome and inherited together. The term 'coupling' represents genetic linkage, which is important for constructing linkage maps and understanding inheritance patterns.
Step-by-step explanation:
When one wild-type allele and one mutant allele are found on each chromosome, the genes are said to be in coupling configuration. In genetics, 'coupling' refers to the scenario where two or more genes are located on the same chromosome and therefore tend to be inherited together. This concept is crucial in understanding genetic linkage and the construction of linkage maps, which illustrate the positions of genes on a chromosome.
Genes that are close together on the same chromosome have a low recombination frequency, meaning they are more likely to be passed on to offspring in the combination seen in the parent (coupling). As genes are farther apart on a chromosome, or on different chromosomes, independent assortment can occur, following Mendel’s law, and the recombination frequency approaches 0.5, indicating that offspring have a 50 percent chance of being recombinant types, and the genes behave as if they are unlinked.