Gene
/dʒiːn/noun
A unit of heredity in a living organism; a segment of DNA that determines a particular characteristic.
Did you know?The term 'gene' derives from the Greek 'genos', meaning 'race' or 'kind', linking it to concepts of lineage, birth, and the essence of life itself.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gen-
“to give birth, produce, or create.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
γένος (genos)
“race, family, or kind; a category of beings.”
Latin
Latin
genus
“kind, type; a class of objects or beings that share common characteristics.”
19th Century
English
gene
“a term coined in modern biology to describe the basic physical and functional unit of heredity.”