plural genes
: 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
Examples of gene in a Sentence
She inherited a good set of genes from her parents.
Recent Examples on the Web
The sequences also didn’t show changes in genes associated with adaptation to mammals, the CDC found.
—
Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024
If the genes fit The ancestral AMY1 gene, which is expressed in the parotid salivary gland, was present as a single copy and is thought to have originated in the common ancestor of great apes.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 27 Dec. 2024
The beetle ingests the RNA, triggering interference by binding to messenger RNA instructions for a gene called PSMB5, which is critical for the elimination of damaged proteins.
—Andrew Rosenblum, Popular Science, 26 Dec. 2024
Over time, the team has identified seven genes associated with natural short sleep.
—Marla Broadfoot, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Dec. 2024
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Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024
If the genes fit The ancestral AMY1 gene, which is expressed in the parotid salivary gland, was present as a single copy and is thought to have originated in the common ancestor of great apes.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 27 Dec. 2024
The beetle ingests the RNA, triggering interference by binding to messenger RNA instructions for a gene called PSMB5, which is critical for the elimination of damaged proteins.
—Andrew Rosenblum, Popular Science, 26 Dec. 2024
Over time, the team has identified seven genes associated with natural short sleep.
—Marla Broadfoot, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gene
Dictionary Entries Near gene
Cite this Entry
“Gene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gene. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gene
noun
: a part of DNA or sometimes RNA that is usually located on a chromosome and that contains chemical information needed to make a particular protein (as an enzyme) controlling or influencing an inherited bodily trait or activity (as eye color or metabolism) or that influences or controls the activity of another gene or genes
Medical Definition
gene
noun
: 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
called also determinant, determiner, factor
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