lethal gene

WordNet-Online
Free dictionary and thesaurus of English. Definitions, synonyms, antonyms and more...
Hint: double-click any word to get it searched!

Definitions from WordNet

Noun lethal gene has 1 sense

lethal gene - any gene that has an effect that causes the death of the organism at any stage of life
--₁ is a kind of gene, cistron, factor

Definitions from the Web

Lethal Gene

Definition:

A lethal gene refers to a gene that, when present in an organism's genetic makeup, leads to the death of the organism or significantly reduces its life expectancy.

Sample sentences:

The presence of a lethal gene in the mouse's DNA caused its early death.
Individuals inheriting two copies of the lethal gene often do not survive beyond infancy.
Scientists are studying the effects of the lethal gene on fruit flies' lifespan.