gene

noun \ ˈjēn \

Definition of gene

:a specific sequence of nucleotides in DNA or RNA that is located usually on a chromosome and that is the functional unit of inheritance controlling the transmission and expression of one or more traits by specifying the structure of a particular polypeptide and especially a protein or controlling the function of other genetic material

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See gene defined for kids

Examples of gene in a Sentence

She inherited a good set of genes from her parents.

Recent Examples of gene from the Web

The proud mom is two-year-old P-53 and the suspected pops is local lion lothario P-12, who crossed into the Santa Monica Mountains from the north and who brought a new set of genes to a population seriously lacking in genetic diversity.

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "Two Precious Mountain Lion Kittens Have Been Found in the Santa Monica Mountains," 29 Aug. 2017
Deficiency can also mean genes that should be inhibited are no longer inhibited, also potentially meaning cancer.

— james hamblin, The Atlantic, "Vitamin B6 and B12 Supplements Appear to Cause Cancer in Men," 25 Aug. 2017
Sixty to 80 percent of genes found in humans are found in flies, and essentially all our biochemistry and metabolism is identical.

— thomas merritt, Washington Post, "Here’s how you can get rid of fruit flies, and why scientists are so fond of them," 19 Aug. 2017
CRISPR/Cas9 cuts DNA at specified targets, inactivating or altering gene sequences.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "UCSD team adapts CRISPR to edit RNA for disease therapies," 10 Aug. 2017
The focus of this study is a single mutation in the gene MYBPC3.

— james kath, Scientific American Blog Network, "Brave New World? Not Even Close," 2 Aug. 2017
The syndrome is caused by a collection of gene mutations, and it’s very rare: Around 100 cases have been reported worldwide.

— ashley weatherford, The Cut, "Uncombable Hair Syndrome Is Real, and This Girl Has It," 28 July 2017
To answer that question, Blackburn and his colleagues analyzed 95 genes from each of 156 different frog species alive today.

— tia ghose senior writer, Fox News, "Dinosaur extinction allowed frogs to conquer the planet," 6 July 2017
But that was sidetracked when the Bachelor alum tested positive for a gene that links her to a high risk of cancer.

— megan friedman, Cosmopolitan, "Bachelor Alum Lesley Murphy Is Sharing Raw Photos of Her Double Mastectomy and Breast Implant Surgery," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gene.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of gene

German Gen, short for Pangen, from pan- + -gen

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1909

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Other Genetics Terms

chimera, hermaphrodite, plasticity

GENE Defined for English Language Learners

gene

noun

Definition of gene for English Language Learners

biology : a part of a cell that controls or influences the appearance, growth, etc., of a living thing

GENE Defined for Kids

gene

noun \ ˈjēn \

Definition of gene for Students

:a unit of DNA that is usually located on a chromosome and that controls the development of one or more traits and is the basic unit by which genetic information is passed from parent to offspring