gene

plural genes

1. biologyA theoretical unit of heredity of living organisms which may take several values and (in principle) predetermines a precise trait of an organism's form (phenotype), such as hair color.

   Near-synonym: cistron (often synonymous)

   1 more example

   The US supreme court has ruled unanimously that natural human genes cannot be patented, a decision that scientists and civil rights campaigners said removed a major barrier to patient care and medical innovation.

   2013 June 21, Karen McVeigh, “US rules human genes can't be patented”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 10

   Synonyms: cistron

2. molecular biologyA segment of DNA or RNA from a cell's or an organism's genome, that may take several forms and thus parameterizes a phenomenon, such as (often) the structure of a protein.

   Holonym: locus

   3 more examples

   A change in a gene is reflected in the protein or RNA molecule that it codes for.

   A length of DNA is divided into segments called chromosomes and shorter individual units called genes.

   2019, Bill Bryson, The Body: A Guide for Occupants, Black Swan (2020), page 7

   One way to define a gene (there are many, and they are not all equivalent) is as the bit of DNA that contains the information needed to make a specific protein or a functional RNA molecule.

   2025, The Economist staff, “Primer 1: Nucleic acids and proteins”, in The Economist (Biology Primers series), retrieved 18 Oct 2025

plural Genes

1. A unisex given name.
   1. A diminutive of the male given name Eugene, also used as a formal male given name.
   2. A diminutive of the female given name Genevieve
   3. A diminutive of the female given name Eugenia
2. A surname