**Core Concept**
Genetic mapping, also known as linkage analysis, is a technique used to identify the location of genes on a chromosome. It relies on the principle of genetic recombination during meiosis, where two homologous chromosomes break and exchange genetic material, resulting in offspring with a mixture of parental and recombinant genotypes.

**Why the Correct Answer is Right**
Linkage analysis involves studying the inheritance patterns of multiple genetic traits or markers in a family. By analyzing the frequency of recombination between these traits, researchers can infer the physical distance between them on the chromosome. This is based on the idea that closer genes are less likely to be separated by recombination, resulting in a higher frequency of co-inheritance. The most commonly used method for linkage analysis is the lod score method, which uses a logarithmic scale to express the likelihood of a linkage between two genes.

**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect**
**Option A:** This option is incorrect because it does not involve direct analysis of genetic recombination events. While genetic mapping does involve the study of inheritance patterns, it is not a method for determining gene function or expression.

**Option B:** This option is incorrect because it refers to a technique used in gene expression analysis, not genetic mapping. Gene expression profiling involves the measurement of mRNA levels in cells or tissues to understand the transcriptional activity of genes.

**Option C:** This option is incorrect because it refers to a type of genetic variation, not a method for genetic mapping. Genetic variation can include point mutations, insertions, deletions, and other types of changes in the DNA sequence.

**Clinical Pearl / High-Yield Fact**
The concept of genetic recombination was first described by Thomas Hunt Morgan in 1910, and it laid the foundation for the field of genetic mapping. By understanding the frequency of recombination between genes, researchers can infer the physical distance between them on the chromosome.

**Correct Answer: C. Genetic mapping involves studying the inheritance patterns of multiple genetic traits or markers in a family to infer the physical distance between them on the chromosome.