Genetic Topics Translocations Translocation - a change in position of a chromosomal segment to another region of the same chromosome or to another chromosome Chromosomal material is also maintained, but in a different arrangement after a translocation. Intrachromosomal translocations involve the movement of a chromosomal segment from one location in the chromosome to another. This is normally non-reciprocal , that is another segment does not exchange places with the first segment. Reciprocal translocations occur when chromosomal segments are exchanged between two non- homologous chromosomes and is the most typical type of translocation.
Translocations have two genetic consequences.
First, if a segment is inserted between two genes then the linkage distance between those two genes will increase . Secondly, the genes found on the inserted segment will be nearer the genes in the region in which it was inserted, thus defining new linkage relationships among these genes .