Printer Friendly
The Free Dictionary
967,847,422 visitors served.
?
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

gene
(redirected from H gene)

   Also found in: Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.03 sec.
gene  (jn)
n.
A hereditary unit consisting of a sequence of DNA that occupies a specific location on a chromosome and determines a particular characteristic in an organism. Genes undergo mutation when their DNA sequence changes.

[German Gen, from gen-, begetting, in Greek words (such as genos, race, offspring); see gen- in Indo-European roots.]

gene [jean]
Noun
a unit composed of DNA forming part of a chromosome, by which inherited characteristics are transmitted from parent to offspring [German Gen]

gene  (jn)
A segment of DNA, occupying a specific place on a chromosome, that is the basic unit of heredity. Genes act by directing the production of RNA, which determines the synthesis of proteins that make up living matter and are the catalysts of all cellular processes. The proteins that are determined by genetic DNA result in specific physical traits, such as the shape of a plant leaf, the coloration of an animal's coat, or the texture of a person's hair. Different forms of genes, called alleles, determine how these traits are expressed in a given individual. Humans are thought to have about 35,000 genes, while bacteria have between 500 and 6,000. See also dominantrecessive See Note at Mendel Gregor Johann.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.genegene - (genetics) a segment of DNA that is involved in producing a polypeptide chain; it can include regions preceding and following the coding DNA as well as introns between the exons; it is considered a unit of heredity; "genes were formerly called factors"
dominant gene - gene that produces the same phenotype in the organism whether or not its allele identical; "the dominant gene for brown eyes"
allele, allelomorph - (genetics) either of a pair (or series) of alternative forms of a gene that can occupy the same locus on a particular chromosome and that control the same character; "some alleles are dominant over others"
genetic marker - a specific gene that produces a recognizable trait and can be used in family or population studies
homeotic gene - one the genes that are involved in embryologic development
lethal gene - any gene that has an effect that causes the death of the organism at any stage of life
linkage group, linked genes - any pair of genes that tend to be transmitted together; "the genes of Drosophila fall into four linkage groups"
modifier gene, modifier - a gene that modifies the effect produced by another gene
mutant gene - a gene that has changed so that the normal transmission and expression of a trait is affected
nonallele - genes that are not competitors at the same locus
operator gene - a gene that activates the production of messenger RNA by adjacent structural genes
oncogene, transforming gene - a gene that disposes normal cells to change into cancerous tumor cells
polygene - a gene that by itself has little effect on the phenotype but which can act together with others to produce observable variations
proto-oncogene - a normal gene that has the potential to become an oncogene
recessive gene - gene that produces its characteristic phenotype only when its allele is identical; "the recessive gene for blue eyes"
regulator gene, regulatory gene - a gene that produces a repressor substance that inhibits an operator gene
repressor gene - gene that prevents a nonallele from being transcribed
structural gene - a gene that controls the production of a specific protein or peptide
suppresser gene, suppressor gene, suppresser, suppressor - a gene that suppresses the phenotypic expression of another gene (especially of a mutant gene)
transgene - an exogenous gene introduced into the genome of another organism
X-linked gene - a gene located on an X chromosome
holandric gene, Y-linked gene - a gene located on a Y chromosome
chromosome - a threadlike strand of DNA in the cell nucleus that carries the genes in a linear order; "humans have 22 chromosome pairs plus two sex chromosomes"
genetic science, genetics - the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms
molecular biology - the branch of biology that studies the structure and activity of macromolecules essential to life (and especially with their genetic role)
sequence - serial arrangement in which things follow in logical order or a recurrent pattern; "the sequence of names was alphabetical"; "he invented a technique to determine the sequence of base pairs in DNA"
deoxyribonucleic acid, desoxyribonucleic acid, DNA - (biochemistry) a long linear polymer found in the nucleus of a cell and formed from nucleotides and shaped like a double helix; associated with the transmission of genetic information; "DNA is the king of molecules"
Translations
Spanish gene [dʒiːn] ngen(e) m
French gene [dʒiːn] n (Biol) → gène m
German gene [dʒiːn] nGen nt
Italian gene [dʒiːn] n (BIOL) → gene m

?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
? Mentioned in
 
Dictionary/thesaurus browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Translations
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2008 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.