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Glite Dictionary
transforming gene

transforming gene

6.5
A gene that makes normal cells turn into cancer cells
  • noun
  • /trænsˈfɔrmɪŋ dʒin/
  • Specialized
translation icon : gen transformador
  • Researchers identified a transforming gene that causes normal cells to become cancerous tumors.

Examples

  • Researchers identified a transforming gene responsible for uncontrolled cell growth in the tumor.

  • A single mutation in a transforming gene can dramatically alter cell behavior.

  • The discovery of a transforming gene helped scientists understand how certain cancers develop.

  • The transforming gene is crucial in cancer research.

  • Scientists discovered a new transforming gene in mice.

  • A specific transforming gene was linked to the rapid growth of cancer cells in laboratory studies.

  • The role of the transforming gene in tumor formation has been a significant focus of cancer research.

Synonyms

oncogene
vstransforming gene
  • Specialized
3 9.5

A gene that can make a normal cell turn into a cancer cell

acts as a definite cause that turns normal cells into tumor cells

Surface Forms

transforming gene singular
transforming genes plural

Morphology

transform + gene

The noun phrase is compositionally interpretable — 'transform' + 'gene' yields the general sense 'a gene that causes transformation', so learners can infer it refers to a gene that changes something. However, the specific biomedical sense ('causes normal cells to become cancerous') is specialized and not fully predictable from everyday knowledge of 'transform', making the phrase only partially transparent to a B1 learner without domain knowledge.

Etymology

Transforming gene paints a simple picture: the part gene is a small instruction in a cell, and the part transforming shows it 'changes' a healthy cell into a tumor. So transforming gene means a gene that makes normal cells 'become cancerous'.