genenoun [ C ]
uk/dʒiːn/us/dʒiːn/C1 a part of the DNA in a cell that controls the physical development, behaviour, etc. of an individual plant or animal and is passed on from its parents:
The illness is believed to be caused by a defective gene.
More examples
- The scientists identified a defective gene.
- A particular gene is responsible for the inheritance of eye colour.
- This mutant gene is thought to cause cancer.
- It's impossible to say how much a person's behaviour is predetermined by their genes.
- Our personalities result from the complex interplay between our genes and our environment.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Genetics
- adenine
- anaphase
- chromosomal
- chromosome
- codon
- deoxyribonucleic acid
- double helix
- gene therapy
- genetic code
- GMO
- heredity
- homozygous
- inheritance
- oncogene
- recessive
- ribosomal RNA
- ribosome
- sex chromosome
- synapsis
- translocation
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