A gene is the part of a cell in a living thing which controls its physical characteristics, growth, and development.
gene in British English
(dʒiːn)
noun
a unit of heredity composed of DNA occupying a fixed position on a chromosome (some viral genes are composed of RNA). A gene may determine a characteristic of an individual by specifying a polypeptide chain that forms a protein or part of a protein (structural gene); or encode an RNA molecule; or regulate the operation of other genes or repress such operation
See also operon
Word origin
C20: from German Gen, shortened from Pangen; see pan-, -gen
-gene in British English
suffix forming nouns
a variant of -gen
-gen in British English
suffix forming nouns
1.
producing or that which produces
hydrogen
2.
something produced
carcinogen
Word origin
via French -gène, from Greek -genēs born
Gene in American English
(dʒin)
noun
a masculine name
see also Eugene1
gene in American English
(dʒin)
US
noun
Genetics
any of the units occurring at specific points on the chromosomes, by which hereditary characters are transmitted and determined: each is regarded as a particular state of organization of the chromatin in the chromosome, consisting primarily of DNA and protein
see also dominant, recessive, Mendel's laws
Word origin
< Ger gen, short for pangen (< pan-, pan- + -gen, -gen, after pangenesis)
Examples of 'gene' in a sentence
gene
Perhaps because the search for more efficient egg production now involves jellyfish genes.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Supporting smaller farms also avoids mass consolidation which narrows the gene pool and renders crops less resilient against disease.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This new study builds on that work by identifying or confirming a raft of genes we inherited from our prehistoric relations.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She puts her youthful appearance down to her personal trainer, long walks and good genes.
The Sun (2016)
If the breed you pick is niche, remember that gene pools are finite.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
SOCIAL media addicts may have their genes to blame, a report claims.
The Sun (2017)
The technique involves injecting a virus into the eye to deliver replacements for faulty genes, which can then produce the missing proteins that cause sight loss.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
More than 100 genes determine how we manage cholesterol, so be aware of any family history of heart disease.
The Sun (2016)
Now we learn that good genes will help the lucky.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The pair of genes may produce the same or differing effects.
McCahill, T. A. Biology Basic Facts (1982)
We are familiar with the idea that we inherit the genes we have from our parents.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
This switches on other genes that cause cells to grow out of control.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Individual genes are just not very informative.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The location of a gene on the chromosome.
Wills, Christopher The Runaway Brain: the Evolution of Human Uniqueness (1993)
Your genes help determine the amount of cholesterol your body produces.
Westcott, Patsy Alternative Health Care for Women (1991)
These genes code for proteins that appear to play a role in appetite control.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
What properties of our gene pools could have allowed such an astonishing process to take place?
Wills, Christopher The Runaway Brain: the Evolution of Human Uniqueness (1993)
Do their bodies look as though they will pass on good genes to her offspring?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Some volunteers who carry the gene may be given drug treatment as early as their twenties.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
But my daughter has inherited some freak genes from somewhere that make her very good at it.
The Sun (2014)
Tests on mice showed stress altered the release of immune cell genes.
The Sun (2013)
All cancers are caused by mutations in individual genes.
The Sun (2010)
That could mean the strength of our consciences is partly determined by our genes.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The proteins that copy genes were turned into systems for determining the information within them.
Oliver Morton Eating the Sun: How Plants Power the Planet (2007)
The map can determine whether the embryo has inherited chunks of chromosome that contain any faulty gene.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
This makes them a special gene pool.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Some of our chromosomes are as much as two hundred million bases long and carry the information for thousands of genes.
Wills, Christopher The Runaway Brain: the Evolution of Human Uniqueness (1993)
What we didn't know is that they also change the behaviour of our genes.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
For many, the link between genes and addictive behaviour is the brain.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
This is likely to involve many genes, some of which have been identified.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
In other languages
gene
British English: gene /dʒiːn/ NOUN
A gene is the part of a cell in a living thing which controls its physical characteristics, growth, and development.
...the gene for left-handedness.
American English: gene
Arabic: مُوَرِّثَة
Brazilian Portuguese: gene
Chinese: 基因
Croatian: gen
Czech: gen
Danish: gen
Dutch: gen
European Spanish: gen
Finnish: geeni
French: gène
German: Gen
Greek: γονίδιο
Italian: gene
Japanese: 遺伝子
Korean: 유전자
Norwegian: gen
Polish: gen
European Portuguese: gene
Romanian: genă
Russian: ген
Latin American Spanish: gen
Swedish: gen
Thai: สายพันธุ์
Turkish: gen
Ukrainian: ген
Vietnamese: gien
All related terms of 'gene'
gene bank
a collection of seeds, plants, tissue cultures , etc, of potentially useful species, esp species containing genes of significance to the breeding of crops
gene flow
the movement and exchange of genes between interbreeding populations
gene map
a graphic representation of the linear sequence of genes , and of the relative distances between them, on a chromosome or chromosome segment
gene pool
the sum of all the genes in an interbreeding population
cancer gene
oncogene
gene clone
a group of organisms or cells of the same genetic constitution that are descended from a common ancestor by asexual reproduction , as by cuttings , grafting, etc, in plants
gene doping
a form of drug abuse in sport in which genetic material is injected into muscle to enhance performance or stimulate muscle growth
lethal gene
a gene that causes death during some immature stage in the development of an organism
gene editing
the insertion or removal of DNA at a specific site on a genome using artificially engineered nucleases
gene library
a collection of gene clones that represents the genetic material of an organism: used in genetic engineering
gene mapping
the process of determining how genes are positioned on a chromosome
gene sequence
the arrangement of the nucleotides of a particular gene
gene splicing
any technique or procedure used in genetic engineering to create recombinant DNA
gene therapy
Gene therapy is the use of genetic material to treat disease.
gene transfer
the insertion of copies of a gene into living cells in order to induce synthesis of the gene's product: the desired gene may be microinjected directly into the cell or it may be inserted into the core of a virus by gene splicing and the virus allowed to infect the cell for replication of the gene in the cell's DNA
homeobox gene
a gene that regulates cell development , containing a homeobox
jumping gene
a fragment of nucleic acid, such as a plasmid or a transposon , that can become incorporated into the DNA of a cell
reporter gene
a gene with an easily recognizable phenotype , used in analysing the regulation of gene structures
artificial gene
a duplicate gene synthesized in the laboratory by combining nucleotides in a sequence characteristic of the copied gene
gene frequency
the frequency of occurrence of a particular allele in a population
gene sequencing
the determination of the order in which a particular gene's nucleotides are arranged
gene technology
genetic modification ; the alteration of genetic material to achieve higher yields, immunity to disease etc
regulator gene
a person or thing that regulates
regulatory gene
any gene that exercises control over the expression of another gene or genes
structural gene
any gene that determines the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide
complementary gene
one of a pair of genes , each from different loci , that together are required for the expression of a certain characteristic
gene amplification
the act or result of amplifying
clone
If someone or something is a clone of another person or thing, they are so similar to this person or thing that they seem to be exactly the same as them.