Oncogene

(noun. /ON-co-jeen/) 

by Mariah Jones

What does it mean? 

An oncogene, is a gene that is mutated (or altered) and now causes cells to replicate more rapidly. When a cell replicates faster than expected it can cause the cells to create clumps of cells or tumors. 

How do I use it in a sentence?

“Our results indicate that the pirate-1 gene behaves as an oncogene.”

The image shows the effects an oncogene can have on the cell. The car on the bottom now has the ability to replicate faster than the car on the top, due to the mutation (oncogene). Image source

Etymology

From the root  “onco” (Greek word ogkos, meaning “mass, swelling, tumor”) and “gen” (Proto-Indo-European) “give birth”. 

History of usage

First used in 1969 by John Michael Bishop and Harold Varmus to describe viral oncogenes.

Related terms

Proto-oncogene
oncogenesis
oncogenic 

Fields of study in which this word is commonly used

Biology
Chemistry
Biochemistry
Oncology 

Read more about oncogenes here.

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