A map unit [or centimorgan (cM)] is a unit for measuring genetic linkage. It is defined as the distance between chromosome positions for which the expected average number of intervening chromosomal crossovers in a single generation is 0.01. Its relation with actual physical distances is inconsistent because the number of base pairs to which it corresponds varies widely across the genome, it also depends on whether the meiosis in which the crossing-over takes place is a part of male or female genes (female genome is 4782 cM long, while the male genome is only 2809 cM long).
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