POLYGENE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does polygene mean? 

• POLYGENE (noun)
  The noun POLYGENE has 1 sense:

1. a gene that by itself has little effect on the phenotype but which can act together with others to produce observable variations

  Familiarity information: POLYGENE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• POLYGENE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A gene that by itself has little effect on the phenotype but which can act together with others to produce observable variations

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("polygene" is a kind of...):

cistron; factor; gene ((genetics) a segment of DNA that is involved in producing a polypeptide chain; it can include regions preceding and following the coding DNA as well as introns between the exons; it is considered a unit of heredity)

Derivation:

polygenic (of or relating to an inheritable character that is controlled by several genes at once; of or related to or determined by polygenes)