what are homologus chromosomes

Homologous chromosomes are a pair of chromosomes that have the same genes in the same order, but may have different alleles. They are made up of one maternal and one paternal chromosome that pair up with each other inside a cell during fertilization. Homologous chromosomes are important in the processes of meiosis and mitosis, allowing for the recombination and random segregation of genetic material from the mother and father into new cells. They are also used in repairing double-strand breaks of DNA. Homologous chromosomes are paired chromosomes that have the same gene sequence, loci, chromosomal length, and centromere location. They are comprised of a paternal chromosome and a maternal chromosome, and they pair up during meiosis but not during mitosis. Each pair of homologous chromosomes contains at least one or two chiasmata developed from meiotic crossovers, enabling alignment to the spindle apparatus.