DUPLICATE GENES Meaning and
Definition
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Duplicate genes refer to genes that have arisen through gene duplication, a biological process in which an existing gene is copied or duplicated to produce additional copies of the gene within an organism's genome. These duplicate genes carry the same or similar DNA sequence as the original gene, and they are located at different loci or positions within the genome.
Gene duplication can occur through various mechanisms such as unequal crossing over during meiosis, retrotransposition, or whole-genome duplications. Once duplicated, these genes undergo evolutionary changes, leading to variations in their sequence and function. Duplication events can give rise to different types of duplicate genes, including paralogs and orthologs.
Paralogs are duplicate genes within the same organism that have evolved to perform distinct functions. They often arise from gene duplications within a species or population and can play important roles in the evolution of new traits and functions.
Orthologs, on the other hand, are duplicate genes that arise from gene duplication events between different species as a result of speciation. Although they have a common ancestry, orthologs can diverge in sequence and function due to evolutionary pressures in each species.
Duplicate genes are believed to provide a critical source of raw material for evolutionary innovation. They can acquire new functions, undergo functional specialization or subfunctionalization, and contribute to the generation of genetic diversity, fitness, and adaptation in organisms. Duplicate genes also play a role in disease susceptibility and are significant targets for pharmaceutical research and drug development.
Common Misspellings for DUPLICATE GENES
- suplicate genes
- xuplicate genes
- cuplicate genes
- fuplicate genes
- ruplicate genes
- euplicate genes
- dyplicate genes
- dhplicate genes
- djplicate genes
- diplicate genes
- d8plicate genes
- d7plicate genes
- duolicate genes
- dullicate genes
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- du0licate genes
- dupkicate genes
- duppicate genes
- dupoicate genes
- duplucate genes
Etymology of DUPLICATE GENES
The word "duplicate" comes from the Latin word "duplicatus", which means "to double" or "to make double". The word "genes" is derived from the Greek word "genos", meaning "race" or "kind".
In the context of biology, "duplicate genes" refers to genes that have been duplicated through various genetic mechanisms. The term was likely coined to describe the phenomenon of gene duplication, where an organism's genome acquires extra copies of a particular gene. This duplication can occur through processes like DNA replication errors, chromosomal rearrangements, or retrotransposition.
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