genetic marker

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noun

any distinct inheritable indicator of identity and ancestry.

a chromosomal landmark or allele that allows for the tracing of a specific region of DNA, as in the study of recombination.

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Also called marker, marker gene.

Origin of genetic marker

First recorded in 1945–50

Words nearby genetic marker

geneticist, genetic lethal, genetic load, genetic male, genetic map, genetic marker, genetic psychology, genetic relationship, genetics, genetic screening, genetic testing

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use genetic marker in a sentence

Across history, racializing peoples as others often went far beyond epidermal, physiognomic or genetic markers of race alone.
Anti-Blackness and transphobia are older than we thought|Roland Betancourt|June 16, 2021|Washington Post
The whole field of molecular genetics was just starting to reveal you could identify different populations of species and where they came from by genetic markers.
How Surprising Connections Can Save the Ocean - Issue 99: Universality|Mary Ellen Hannibal|April 29, 2021|Nautilus
Methusaleh dogs have led researchers to genetic markers for aging in the blood and brain.
Cognitive Scientists Are Going to the Dogs - Issue 95: Escape|Gareth Wilmer|February 3, 2021|Nautilus
The genetic material can grow quickly, but are typically riddled with errors or defects.
Design Your Own Dinosaur: The Era of Custom DNA|Justin Jones|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

But a 2011 study of genetic evidence from 30 ethnic groups in India disproved this theory.
The Himalayas’ Hidden Aryans|Nina Strochlic|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Jett sees this number as a marker of how much the president allows professionals to do the job.
U.S. Embassies Have Always Been for Sale|William O’Connor|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Prevalence depends on context, and sometimes unique advantages outweigh the genetic costs.
Mongooses, Meerkats, and Ants, Oh My! Why Some Animals Keep Mating All in the Family|Helen Thompson|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Some pilots consider the infrared marker to be crucial to the close air-support mission to support ground troops.
Newest U.S. Stealth Fighter ‘10 Years Behind’ Older Jets|Dave Majumdar|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Right over the stone marker, a long-shafted war-lance was carved—the blade pointing down.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
MacRae's seat, stone-marker, and aboriginal spearhead; the three lined up like the sights of a modern rifle.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
As 63 each little square was sown, I thrust the packet on a stick for a marker, and hitched along to the next square.
The Idyl of Twin Fires|Walter Prichard Eaton
Marker witnessed the accident of 1835, and states that the driver who was killed at that time was James Rhodes.
The Old Pike|Thomas B. Searight
And in her mind she saw two graves side by side, one with a marker reading "My Beloved Wife," the other unmarked.
Watch Yourself Go By|Al. G. Field

British Dictionary definitions for genetic marker

genetic marker

noun

a gene with two or more alternative forms, producing readily identifiable variations in a particular character, used in studies of linkage, genetic mapping, and identification of the presence of other genes that are closely linked to, and therefore usually inherited with, it

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for genetic marker

genetic marker

A gene phenotypically associated with a particular, easily identified trait and used to identify an individual or cell carrying that gene.

Scientific definitions for genetic marker

genetic marker

A gene or DNA sequence having a known location on a chromosome. Genetic markers associated with certain diseases can be used to determine whether an individual is at risk for developing an inherited disease.