Answer: Chiasmata are specialized chromatin structures that link homologous chromosomes together until anaphase I (Figs. 45.1 and 45.10). They form at sites where programmed DNA breaks generated by Spo11 undergo the full recombination pathway to generate crossovers. At a given chiasma, an exchange of genetic material can occur between both chromatids, what is called a chromosomal crossover, but this is much more frequent during meiosis than mitosis. In meiosis, absence of a chiasma generally results in improper chromosomal segregation and aneuploidy.
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