lateral gene transfer

noun

: horizontal gene transfer
The reason for this breakdown is a process called lateral gene transfer, in which organisms acquire genes not from their parents but by picking up stray fragments of DNA from organisms in their environment.Bob Holmes, New Scientist

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Cite this Entry

“Lateral gene transfer.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/lateral%20gene%20transfer. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

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