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jumping genes

Cultural  
  1. See transposon.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Some are nicknamed jumping genes because they literally jump around, copying and pasting themselves into different parts of our genome just as if they were still viral invaders.

From Salon • Jun. 1, 2025

The results also showed that "jumping genes" -- transposable elements -- played a major role in creating new genetic variation for selection to act upon.

From Science Daily • Jan. 26, 2024

Viruses, so-called jumping genes, and a few other mechanisms are thought to be involved.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 19, 2023

The researchers cannot say for sure if the jumping genes are responsible for the absence of the growth factor genes.

From New York Times • Jul. 7, 2022

The geneticist Barbara McClintock discovered genetic elements that can move around within the genome—so-called jumping genes; she would win the Nobel Prize in 1983.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee