Science glossary film: Gene

The unit of inheritance in organisms, generally consisting of a piece of DNA that encodes the production of a specific protein. A particular gene is defined by its location in a chromosome. In some rare cases, one gene can determine a whole characteristic, such as eye colour, but in most cases characteristics are produced by many different genes working together.

A particular gene is defined by its location in a chromosome. In some rare cases, one gene can determine a whole characteristic, such as eye colour, but in most cases characteristics are produced by many different genes working together.