RECESSIVE ONCOGENE Meaning and
Definition
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A recessive oncogene refers to a variant form of a gene that is associated with the development of cancer, but only exerts its effect in a homozygous state. It is an oncogene that requires both copies of the gene to be mutated in order to cause cancer. Typically, an oncogene becomes activated or mutates to promote abnormal cell growth, but in the case of a recessive oncogene, both copies of the gene need to be altered in order for its oncogenic potential to be realized.
In normal cells, oncogenes play a critical role in regulating cell division and growth. However, mutations can occur in these genes, leading to their aberrant activation and subsequent promotion of uncontrolled cell division, a hallmark characteristic of cancer. Unlike dominant oncogenes, which only require one copy of the gene to be altered to result in cancer, recessive oncogenes necessitate both copies to be mutated, making them less common in cancer development.
The homozygous mutation of a recessive oncogene can arise through various mechanisms, such as inherited mutations from both parents or somatic mutations occurring in the same cell. In either case, the presence of two mutated copies of the gene allows the oncogene to drive uncontrolled cell proliferation, ultimately leading to the initiation and progression of cancer.
Overall, recessive oncogenes highlight the complex molecular mechanisms involved in tumor development and emphasize the potential role of multiple genetic alterations in promoting cancer.
Common Misspellings for RECESSIVE ONCOGENE
- eecessive oncogene
- decessive oncogene
- fecessive oncogene
- tecessive oncogene
- 5ecessive oncogene
- 4ecessive oncogene
- rwcessive oncogene
- rscessive oncogene
- rdcessive oncogene
- rrcessive oncogene
- r4cessive oncogene
- r3cessive oncogene
- rexessive oncogene
- revessive oncogene
- refessive oncogene
- redessive oncogene
- recwssive oncogene
- recsssive oncogene
- recdssive oncogene
- recrssive oncogene
Etymology of RECESSIVE ONCOGENE
The word "recessive" comes from the Latin word "recessus", meaning "withdrawal" or "retreat". In genetics, the term "recessive" refers to an allele that needs to be inherited from both parents in order to be expressed in an individual's phenotype.
The word "oncogene" comes from the combination of the Greek words "onco", meaning "mass" or "tumor", and "gene", referring to the segment of DNA that carries hereditary information. Oncogenes are genes that have the potential to cause cancer when mutated or overexpressed.
Therefore, the term "recessive oncogene" is a combination of these two words. It refers to an oncogene that possesses a recessive trait, meaning that it needs to be present in both alleles (copies) of a gene in order to contribute to the development of cancer.
