V(D)J recombination
V(D)J recombination, less commonly known as somatic recombination, is the unique mechanism of genetic recombination that occurs only in developing lymphocytes during the early stages of T and B cell maturation. The process results in the highly diverse repertoire of antibodies/immunoglobulins (Igs) and T cell receptors (TCRs) found on B cells and T cells, respectively. The process is a defining feature of the adaptive immune system and its development was a key event in the evolution of jawed vertebrates.
V(D)J recombination occurs in the primary lymphoid organs (bone marrow for B cells and thymus for T cells) and in a nearly random fashion rearranges variable (V), joining (J), and in some cases, diversity (D) gene segments. The process ultimately results in novel amino acid sequences in the antigen-binding regions of Igs and TCRs that allow for the recognition of antigens from nearly all pathogens including bacteria, viruses, parasites, and worms as well as "altered self cells" as seen in cancer. The recognition can also be allergic in nature (e.g., to pollen or other allergens) or may be "autoreactive" and lead to autoimmunity.
Gene
A gene is a locus (or region) of DNA that encodes a functional RNA or protein product, and is the molecular unit of heredity. The transmission of genes to an organism's offspring is the basis of the inheritance of phenotypic traits. Most biological traits are under the influence of polygenes (many different genes) as well as the gene–environment interactions. Some genetic traits are instantly visible, such as eye colour or number of limbs, and some are not, such as blood type, risk for specific diseases, or the thousands of basic biochemical processes that comprise life.
Genes can acquire mutations in their sequence, leading to different variants, known as alleles, in the population. These alleles encode slightly different versions of a protein, which cause different phenotype traits. Colloquial usage of the term "having a gene" (e.g., "good genes," "hair colour gene") typically refers to having a different allele of the gene. Genes evolve due to natural selection or survival of the fittest of the alleles.
Eugene (given name)
Eugene is a common (masculine) first name that comes from the Greek εὐγενής (eugenēs), "noble", literally "well-born", from εὖ (eu), "well" and γένος (genos), "race, stock, kin".Gene is a common shortened form. The feminine variant is Eugenia or Eugénie.
Male foreign-language variants include:
Notable people
Christianity
Military
Gene (novel)
Gene is a thriller novel by Stel Pavlou (born 1970), published in 2005 in England by Simon & Schuster. It is published in several languages with some title changes. The Italian edition has the title La Conspirazione del Minotauro (The Minotaur Conspiracy). The novel is about a fictional New York detective, James North, who in the process of hunting down a criminal, uncovers a genetics experiment to unlock past lives through genetic memory, therefore achieving a kind of immortality. In so doing North discovers his own origins, that of a soldier from the Trojan War who is reincarnated seven times through history, forced to confront his nemesis each time, all for the loss of his one true love.
Characters
Cyclades (born circa 1300 BC)
Incarnations of Cyclades
Athanatos (born circa 1500 BC)
Incarnations of Athanatos
