Recombination

The process in which genetic material is exchanged, either between different chromosomes or different regions between the same chromosome, to result in a combination of genetic material different from the starting genotypes. Defects in recombination processes can lead to alterations in the proper segregation of genetic material to daughter nuclei. In C. elegans the rate of recombination was shown to be inversely affected by hermaphrodite age and temperature. Recombination rates decrease with age of the hermaphrodite and increase with temperature.