Meaning & use
gene
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Meaning
nouncountablebiology
A unit of heredity made of DNA that controls a particular characteristic in an organism.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a gene' or 'genes' when talking about one or several.
Patterns
- a gene for something
- carry a gene
- inherit a gene
- mutate a gene
Scientists have identified a gene that increases the risk of the disease.
Each person inherits two copies of most genes, one from each parent.
A mutation in a single gene can cause a serious inherited disorder.
Word forms
| plural | genes |
|---|
Common combinations
- gene therapy
- Gene therapy aims to replace a faulty gene with a healthy one.
- gene expression
- The researchers studied how gene expression changes during development.
- dominant gene
- Brown eyes are often caused by a dominant gene.
- recessive gene
- The condition appears only if a child inherits a recessive gene from both parents.
- gene pool
- A small gene pool can lead to health problems in a population.
- genetic engineering
- Genetic engineering allows scientists to modify genes directly.
Synonyms and how they differ
- allele
- An allele is a specific version of a gene; use it when distinguishing variants, not as a general word for the unit.
- genetic factor
- A broader term for any inherited influence; it can include genes but also non-gene elements.
Word family
Commonly confused: gene or jean?
gene vs jean
A 'jean' is a type of fabric or casual trousers; 'gene' is the biological unit. They sound the same but differ in meaning.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'gene' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 1 is correct because 'gene' is a biological unit. Option 0 confuses 'gene' with 'jeans' (clothing). Option 2 uses 'gene' as a verb, which is not standard. Option 3 confuses 'gene' with 'gene' as part of a compound like 'gene plan', which is not a common phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gene”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.