Final answer:
A translocation is a genetic event that happens when a segment of a chromosome moves to a different, nonhomologous chromosome. It can have both benign and harmful effects depending on how it affects the positions of genes and their regulatory sequences.
Step-by-step explanation:
A translocation occurs when a segment of a chromosome dissociates and reattaches to a different, nonhomologous chromosome.
Translocations can be benign or have devastating effects depending on how the positions of genes are altered with respect to regulatory sequences.
Notably, specific translocations have occurred with several cancers and with schizophrenia.
Reciprocal translocations result from exchanging chromosome segments between two nonhomologous chromosomes such that there is no genetic information gain or loss.