gene

See also: Appendix:Variations of "gene"

English

Etymology

From German Gen, from Ancient Greek γενεά (geneá, generation, descent), from the aorist infinitive of γίγνομαι (gígnomai, I come into being). Coined by the Danish biologist Wilhelm Ludvig Johannsen in a German-language publication, from the last syllable of pangene.[1]

Pronunciation

  • enPR: jēn, IPA(key): /d͡ʒiːn/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -iːn
  • Homophones: Gene, Jean

Noun

gene (plural genes)

  1. (genetics) 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.
    Coordinate term: cistron
  2. (molecular biology) A segment of DNA or RNA from a cell's or an organism's genome, that may take several forms and thus parameterizes a phenomenon, in general the structure of a protein; locus.
    A change in a gene is reflected in the protein or RNA molecule that it codes for.
    • 2019, Bill Bryson, The Body: A Guide for Occupants, Black Swan (2020), page 7:
      A length of DNA is divided into segments called chromosomes and shorter individual units called genes.

Usage notes

In the simplest case and in principle, a gene locus is supposed to be the physical reality corresponding to the theoretical gene unit of heredity; in practice, things are far more complicated and confused, which is well known and acknowledged. However, these questions are the subject of still very active scientific research, as well as the topic of both scientific and philosophical questions, especially on the real compatibility between both senses of the term.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

References

  1. Wilhelm Ludvig Johannsen (1909) Elemente der exakten Erblichkeitslehre [Elements of exact heredity] (in German), Jena: Gustav Fischer, page 124:Darum scheint es am einfachsten, aus Darwin's[sic] bekanntem Wort die uns allein interessierende letzte Silbe „Gen“ isoliert zu verwerten, um damit das schlechte, mehrdeutige Wort „Anlage“ zu ersetzen.

Further reading

Anagrams

Danish

Etymology

From French gêne.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /sjeːnə/, [ˈɕeːnə]

Noun

gene c (singular definite genen, plural indefinite gener)

  1. inconvenience, nuisance (something that bothers)
    Røgen fra skorstenen er til gene for naboerne.
    The smoke from the chimney is bothering the neighbours.

Declension

References

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -eːnə

Adjective

gene

  1. inflection of geen:
    1. masculine/feminine singular attributive
    2. definite neuter singular attributive
    3. plural attributive

Anagrams

Italian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛ.ne/
  • Rhymes: -ɛne
  • Hyphenation: gè‧ne

Etymology 1

From German Gen.

Noun

gene m (plural geni)

  1. (genetics) gene

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

gene f pl

  1. plural of gena

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *gēn, from Proto-Germanic *jainaz.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɣeːnə/

Determiner

gêne

  1. that over there, yonder

Descendants

  • Dutch: geen

Further reading

  • ghene (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
  • Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “gene”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 
  • (Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈʒe.ni/
    • (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈʒe.ne/

  • Hyphenation: ge‧ne

Noun

gene m (plural genes)

  1. (genetics) gene

Further reading

Romanian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈd͡ʒe.ne/
  • Rhymes: -ene
  • Hyphenation: ge‧ne

Noun

gene f

  1. inflection of genă (gene):
    1. indefinite nominative/accusative plural
    2. indefinite genitive/dative singular

Noun

gene f

  1. inflection of geană (eyelash):
    1. indefinite nominative/accusative plural
    2. indefinite genitive/dative singular

Spanish

Noun

gene m (plural genes)

  1. gene
    Synonym: gen

Turkish

Etymology

From Old Turkic *yana (again), from Proto-Turkic *yan- (to return, turn back).

Adverb

gene

  1. (colloquial) again
    Synonym: yine

Noun

gene

  1. dative singular of gen
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