One of the reasons why humans cannot be used to do linkage mapping is the long generation time.  True False

True.

Linkage mapping is a genetic technique used to determine the relative positions of genes on a chromosome based on their inheritance patterns. One of the primary reasons humans cannot be conveniently used for linkage mapping is indeed their long generation time.

1. Generation Time: Humans have a long reproductive cycle, generally producing offspring every 20 to 30 years. In contrast, organisms such as fruit flies or mice have much shorter cycles (days to a few months). This makes it easier to observe multiple generations in a short time to establish linkage maps.

2. Ethical Considerations: Using humans for genetic experiments poses ethical dilemmas that are not present in animal models. The ability to manipulate genetic crosses and observe resulting phenotypes is limited by ethical standards in human studies.

3. Complexity of Traits: Human traits are often influenced by multiple genetic factors and environmental interactions, making it challenging to establish clear linkage relationships.

Consequently, due to the long generation times and associated ethical considerations, model organisms with shorter life cycles are preferred for linkage mapping.