Gene

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-012144",
  "term": "Gene",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. The fundamental physical and functional unit of heredity. A gene is an ordered sequence of nucleotides located in a particular position on a particular chromosome that encodes a specific functional product (i.e., a protein or RNA molecule).\n\n2. A hereditary unit consisting of a sequence of DNA that occupies a specific location on a chromosome and determines a particular characteristic in an organism. Genes undergo mutation when their DNA sequence changes. [\n\n3. The gene is the basic physical unit of inheritance. Genes are passed from parents to offspring and contain the information needed to specify traits. Genes are arranged, one after another, on structures called chromosomes. A chromosome contains a single, long DNA molecule, only a portion of which corresponds to a single gene. Humans have approximately 23,000 genes arranged on their chromosomes.",
  "references": [
    "EPA Potential Implications of Genomics for Regulatory and Risk Assessment Applications at EPA (Glossary): EPA Science Policy Council at http://www.epa.gov/osa/pdfs/EPA-Genomics-White-Paper.pdf.",
    "EPA Quality Assurance/Quality Control Guidance for Laboratories Performing PCR Analyses on Environmental Samples Glossary at http://www.epa.gov/nerlcwww/qa_qc_pcr10_04.pdf",
    "NIH Genetics Home Reference Glossary"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/gene/"
}