What is a gene?
The word Gene derives from the Greek “genesis” (birth) or “genos” (origin) and was first coined by Wilhelm Johannsen in 1909. At that time, little or nothing was known about the existence of DNA, and the word gene was used to describe the Mendelian concept of a phenotypical trait that is transmitted through inheritance (Johansen, 1909).
The gene as the fundamental unit of heredity is the original meaning of the word as first geneticists intended it. This essentially explains the reason why, during last century, a burst of research occurred in the genetic field: it was carried out in order to discover the genes responsible for the most various traits, from the ones causing diseases to the ones responsible for genetic variation across populations. In fact, the scientific community was convinced that genes retained all the crucial information necessary for organisms’ generation, growth, survival and reproduction (Sarkar, 1998).
One of the fundamental discoveries of the 20th century was that DNA was the genetic code’s physical structure (Watson & Crick, 1953) and, since then, many studies have disclosed the complicated pattern of regulation and expression of genes, which involve RNA synthesis and its subsequent translation into proteins.
Nowadays, if we define genes from a physical/molecular point of view, we usually consider them as a specific sequence of DNA (and its control region), which is inheritable and codes for a product (Protein or RNA) that has a
Translation is a task that makes ribosomes synthesize proteins utilizing mRNA transcript made during transcription. In the begining of this task mRNA attaches it self to a ribosome so that it can be reveal a codon (three nucleotides).
The author explains the basics of DNA by describing the simple part of it, “proteins are the molecules that do all of the work in every organism, from carrying oxygen, to building tissue, to copying DNA for the next generation” (Carroll 73). He also explained the four bases that are building blocks that are held together by strong bonds and are represented by the letters A, C, G and T. Scientist also learned that A and T always pair with each other as well as G and C, this helps them because if they know one strand of DNA they already know the second because of how the bases match up. The author states that scientists have found about 500 genes that exist in all forms of life, the author explains that these genes are “immortal”. These genes have endured millions of years of evolution and have not been mutated because they are essential for every organism to have; these genes can have important jobs such as decoding of the DNA and RNA and making
While studying eugenics, genetics plays a detrimental role in determining heredity. Genetics is the study and behavior of genes ("Genetics"). These genes are encoded pieces of information that comes from both parents, these genes are found on any of the 23 pairs chromosomes; these chromosomes that contain genes form the human genome. 22 chromosomes all contain the same genes although slight variations of alleles, alleles are alternate forms of genes, and the 23rd chromosome contains the information for the zygote's gender.
Genetics can help answer questions about our traits and why we look different and advance in different ways from each other in the world. Chapter 1 explains the basics about how genes work, and the portrayal of DNA and RNA. Chapter 2 describes RNA more in detail and it consist of the explanation of the human genome. Specifically, Chapter 3 clarifies how evolution works and how it relates to genetic and medical research. Furthermore, Chapter 4 and 5 explains the knowledge researchers have about genes role in health and diseases, and how society is affected with the advances in medicine and science given approximate credit to these researchers.
Genes pertains to any living organism chemical make, which is passed from one generation to the next, and effect blood type, eye color, skin color, and other traits which help classify living organism. The study of Genes, or Genetics is considered a field of biology but is entwined with other sciences and studies. Certain fields of study focus on the genetic structure of living organisms and the effects that the environment have on genes, while at the same time, studying the effects of genes in an individual, and the effect on the environment caused by an individual.
A gene is a region of a nucleic acid that contains hereditary biological information. For all cells, the nucleic acid is double stranded DNA, and it provides information for synthesis of RNA, and into protein, which is then expressed as hereditary traits in human.
Genetic: pertaining to genes or any of their effects. A gene is the smallest physical piece of heredity. It determines what features we will pass on to our children as well as which ones we have gained from our biological parents.
A genetic template can be used by other cell structures in ways that are dependent on the micro- and/or macro-environments. This minimizes a gene’s role in larger processes by defining it in less deterministic molecular terms: as a helical stretch of nucleotides (with a phosphodiester backbone) that contains triplet codons which, when transcribed into mRNA, attract specific amino acids. In this way, a gene has a finite set of mRNAs (and subsequent proteins) that it can code for, but it is not ascribed a finite set of larger outcomes, like behaviors, that it determines. Describing DNA as a template for non-coding mRNAs and proteins allows genes to be informational without giving them an intentional and deterministic role in development and behavior. The template definition of a gene also
Molecular genetics is the study of the chemical nature of the gene itself while genetics, as a whole, is the study of heredity and inherited characteristics. Molecular genetics is more so a branch of the genetics study and expresses how genes and genetic information is encoded, replicated, and expressed. There is a depth induction in the study of molecular genetics to how the processes of replication, transcription, translation, and gene regulation happen and are completed. The study exemplifies how genes are units of heredity that passed down from generation to generation and they encode certain characteristics (Pierce, 2014).
Inside each and every cell in your body is a strange chemical called deoxyribonucleic acid, better known as DNA. DNA is a double-helix structure that is made up of billions of nucleotides. They are adenosine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine, abbreviated A, T, C, and G, respectively. “The information content resides in those chemical bases arranged within the interior, where A always pairs with T, and C always pairs with G” (Collins 6). These base pairs are lined up in a pattern as rungs on the DNA “ladder”. A gene is a section of base pairs in the strand of DNA. The smallest genes span about a few hundred base pairs, and the largest
Genes is the physical and functional unit of heredity which are made up of DNA. It carries the information of that determines traits that are passed on by the parents. There are two copies of genes which comes from each parents which is to be exact twenty chromosome from each parent to make up forty six chromosome in a baby. As by the
When someone says genes one typically thinks about the kind that cover our butts. Although those are important, there is another type of gene that you can’t buy at Old Navy. These genes make up our entire existence and give us a sense of individuality. Our genes have been passed down through our family since they first began. Every family has their own set of genes and these genes are one way a family bond can be created. However, each family member has their own specific set of genes which makes them unique as a human. Our genes are the makeup of our entire body and existence. They give us our own mental and physical characteristics; one’s that no one else has. Especially
The famous and classic example is of a giraffe and its neck. A giraffe who uses its neck to reach taller and more out of reach food sources, will have altered neck muscles and pass this to its offspring who will have stronger and longer necks. Essentially a gene for stronger/longer neck muscles is passed on. ‘A gene’ just for a specific characteristic however is a misconception. In the mainstream public, there is a gene for this behaviour or that characteristic; on the other hand it is difficult to establish a causal link between genes and specific characteristics, behaviours, cognition etc. The first use of the term epigenetics however is associated to Conrad Waddington. His article, originally published in 1942, wasn’t the same epigenetics back then. Instead he focused on the biological and external environmental stimuli’s effect on embryonic development. Waddington focused not to challenge the genetic centred research, but instead link together the effects of the environment, the resulting phenotype directly to the genotype. It wasn’t until many years later however was it accepted in the wider scientific
Genes come in different varieties, called alleles. Somatic cells contain two alleles for every gene, with one allele provided by each parent of an organism. Genotype refers to the information contained in an organisms DNA, or genetic material. Its phenotype is the physical
Gene – the unit or heredity occupying a particular location on the chromosome and passed on to offspring