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gene

|gene|

B2

/dʒiːn/

hereditary unit

Etymology
Etymology Information

'gene' originates from German, specifically the word 'Gen,' which was derived from the Greek word 'genos,' meaning 'race' or 'offspring.'

Historical Evolution

'Gen' was adopted into English in the early 20th century as 'gene,' reflecting its scientific usage in genetics.

Meaning Changes

Initially, it meant 'race' or 'offspring,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a unit of heredity.'

Meanings by Part of Speech

Noun 1

a unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.

Genes play a crucial role in determining the traits of an organism.

Synonyms

alleleDNA segment

Examples

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Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:45