gene

A gene is a sequence of nucleotides along a strand of DNA that a cell nucleus uses to produce proteins. Genes determine the specific traits of an organism.

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a large molecule that is shaped like a double helix sometimes described as a twisty ladder. The rungs of the ladder are made of molecules called nucleotides. These rungs, or bases, are arranged in a specific order that creates a set of instructions, which is known as a gene.

When the body needs to do something or build something, it often requires a protein. Genes are the instructions that the cells read for how to build proteins. Proteins have very specific jobs, so scientists name genes based on what job their linked proteins are designed to do. For example, hair proteins come from hair genes, while eye proteins come from eye genes.

Every living organism has genes. Animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, and even the humble amoeba all have genes. The more closely related two organisms are, the more similar their genes will be. For example a dog and a wolf, which are from the same genus, will have similar genes, while a dog and a human, which are not part of the same genus, will have much different genes from each other.

The first records of the word gene come from around 1911. It comes from the German Gen, which appears to come from the suffix –gen, which means “that which produces.” Genes are the instructions that produce all of the different traits that living things have.

An offspring inherits its genes from its parents. Humans and other animals have two sets of genes: one from their mother and one from their father. For example, your mother may have given you the brown eye gene and your father gave you the blue eye gene. Which eye color you will show depends on which one is the dominant gene and which one is the recessive gene. Because dominant genes take priority over recessive genes, a recessive gene will only be seen if you receive that gene from both your parents.

Genes play a big part in how we label and separate living things. Obviously, we know that a kangaroo has very different genes from a mushroom, but we’ll separate two different species of spiders from each other, for example, with smaller differences in genes.

Rarely, two closely related species can produce a hybrid animal. For example, a mule is a hybrid of a donkey and a horse, while a liger is the hybrid of a lion and a tiger. However, these offspring can almost never reproduce and usually die very quickly because their two sets of genes are incompatible with each other.

Genes are a fascinating part of science. Because we are still learning about them, many people often assume genes are more responsible for our behavior than they actually are.

From genes to minds to cultures: Evolutionary approaches to leadership – https://t.co/ARvHZGmKjf

— Jorge F. Bertini (@gfbertini) August 5, 2021

• genetics
• DNA
• nucleotide
• protein
• chromosome
• allele

True or False?

Only animals have genes in their DNA.