Home / Dictionary / Gene

Gene Very Common

Gene has 3 different meanings across 2 categories:

Noun · Proper Noun

Definitions
Noun
1

(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"

2

A theoretical unit of heredity of living organisms; a gene may take several values and in principle predetermines a precise trait of an organism's form (phenotype), such as hair color.

"Scientists discovered that a single gene determines the unique shade of blue in her eyes, overriding all other pigmentation factors."

In plain English: A gene is a tiny section of DNA that holds the instructions for making specific parts of your body.

"Scientists believe that a specific gene is responsible for her blue eyes."

Usage: Use the word "gene" to refer to a specific segment of DNA that determines a particular inherited trait, such as eye color or blood type. Do not confuse it with "genus," which is a broader biological classification grouping together related species.

Proper Noun
1

A diminutive of Eugene, also used as a formal male given name.

"The baby was named Gene by his grandparents, though everyone at school called him Gene because it sounded friendly and short."

Example Sentences
"Scientists believe that a specific gene is responsible for her blue eyes." noun
"Scientists discovered that this specific gene helps plants grow taller in sunny conditions." noun
"She studied hard to understand how each gene contributes to her family's health." noun
"The new test can detect if your baby carries a rare gene for heart disease." noun
Related Terms
bicoid integron multigene aspartylglucosaminidase oncogene uxorial ecoresponsive penetrance isochore genotype pleiohomeotic trait axotropin enhanceosome intergenically coamplify genetic marker hypostatic cisregulation supragenic
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
sequence
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
dominant gene allele genetic marker homeotic gene lethal gene linkage group modifier mutant gene nonallele operator gene oncogene polygene proto-oncogene recessive gene regulatory gene repressor gene structural gene suppressor transgene X-linked gene Y-linked gene

Origin

The word "gene" was coined in 1909 by Danish botanist Wilhelm Johannsen and entered English from his German-language work. He derived it from the final syllable of pangene, which itself comes from the Ancient Greek for "generation."

Rhyming Words
ene dene mene pene sene bene rene nene lene cene oxene agene ilene arene keene ctene azene acene irene plene
Compare
Gene vs