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oncogene
[ ong-kuh-jeen ]
/ ˈɒŋ kəˌdʒin /
See the most commonly confused word associated with proto-oncogene
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noun Genetics.
any gene that is a causative factor in the initiation of cancerous growth.
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Words nearby oncogene
once upon a time, onchocerciasis, oncidium, on cloud nine, onco-, oncogene, oncogenesis, oncogenic, oncogenicity, oncolite, oncology
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for oncogene
oncogene
/ (ˈɒŋkəʊˌdʒiːn) /
noun
any of several genes, first identified in viruses but present in all cells, that when abnormally activated can cause cancer
Word Origin for oncogene
C20 from Gk onkos mass, tumour + gene
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
Scientific definitions for oncogene
oncogene
[ ŏn′kə-jēn ]
A gene that causes normal cells to become cancerous either because the gene is mutated or because the gene is expressed at the wrong time in development. See Note at cancer.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for oncogene
notes for oncogene
Every cell contains genes that, when altered slightly, can become oncogenes.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.