Gene (source code)
= Gene
{wiki}
A <gene> is an inherited functional unit of genetic material. In cellular <organisms>, a <gene> is a region of <DNA> whose information produces a functional <RNA> or contributes to a <protein>. This connects inheritance to cellular chemistry: a change in a <gene> can alter the amount or activity of a <protein>, and thereby a <phenotype>. See https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Gene[NHGRI: gene].
Alternative inherited versions at a <genetic locus> are <alleles>. The distinction matters: two parents can carry the same <gene> but different <alleles>, and a <genetic locus> can have variation outside a <gene>. Neither the word <gene> nor a change in <DNA> alone specifies the resulting <phenotype>.
// Target: biology.bigb
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