The widely accepted model of DNA recombination during crossing over is Holliday's hybrid DNA model.

Steps involved are:
1. Homologous DNA molecules are paired side by side with their duplicated copies of DNAs
2. One strand of both DNAs cut in one place by the enzyme endonuclease.
3. The cut strands cross and join the homologous strands forming the Holliday structure or Holliday junction.
4. The Holliday junction migrates away from the original site, a process called branch migration, as a result heteroduplex region is formed.
5. DNA strands may cut along through  the vertical (V) line or horizontal (H) line.
6. The vertical cut will result in heteroduplexes with recombinants.
7. The horizontal cut will result in heteroduplex with non recombinants.

Crossing over is a process that includes four stages.
1. Synapsis
(i) Pairing between two homologous chromosomes is initiated during sub stage zygotene stage of prophase I of meiosis I
(ii) Homologous chromosomes are aligned side by side resulting in the formation of bivalents. It also occurs in zygotene sub-stage of prophase I of meiosis I tetrads.This pairing phenomenon is called synapsis.
 2.Tetrad Formation
(i) Each homologous chromosome of a bivalent begin to form two identical sister chromatids.
(ii) They remain held together by a centromere at this stage each bivalent has four chromatids. This stage is called tetrad stage.
3. Cross Over
After tetrad formation, crossing over occurs in pachytene stage.
The non-sister chromatids of homologous pair make a contact at one or more points. These points of contact are called Chiasmata.
At chiasma, X-shaped structures are formed, where breaking and rejoining of two chromatids occur. This results in reciprocal exchange of equal and corresponding segments between them synapsis and chiasma formation are facilitated by protein filaments called synaptonemal complex.
4. Terminalisation
After crossing over, chiasma starts to move towards the terminal end of chromatids known as terminalisation. As a result, complete separation of homologous chromosomes occurs.