Here's why:

* Homologous means "having the same structure" or "similar in structure".

* In a homologous pair, the chromosomes have the same genes in the same order.

* However, the alleles (versions of the genes) on each chromosome can be different.

* For example, one chromosome might carry the allele for brown eyes, while the other carries the allele for blue eyes.

Important Note: Homologous chromosomes are not identical, they just have the same genes in the same order.