What Are Homologous Chromosomes?

Homologous chromosomes are a pair of chromosomes observed during metaphase of mitosis—having identical lengths and centromere positions—or the paired chromosomes present during meiosis. Homologous chromosomes exhibit different morphological features depending on the cell cycle stage; one chromosome of the pair is inherited from the father and the other from the mother, and they are identical in shape, size, and structural organization. The concept of homologous chromosomes is fundamental in genetics: both animals and plants possess species-specific chromosomal differences, which serve to distinguish between species and between genes.