oncogene

on·co·gene  (nk-jn, ng-)

n.

A gene that causes the transformation of normal cells into cancerous tumor cells, especially a viral gene that transforms a host cell into a tumor cell.

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[Greek onkos, mass, tumor; see oncology + gene.]

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oncogene [ong-koh-jean]

Noun

a gene present in all cells, that when abnormally activated can cause cancer [Greek onkos tumour + -gen (suffix) producing]

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oncogene  (nk-jn)

A gene that causes normal cells to become cancerous either because the gene is mutated or because the gene is expressed at the wrong time in development. See Note at cancer.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

oncogene - a gene that disposes normal cells to change into cancerous tumor cells transforming gene cistron, gene, factor - (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"