ruveyn wrote:
naturalplastic wrote:
The biological "gene" is itsself largely a mythic construct. More of a handy short hand than a real thing that can be pointed to in nature.
Genes are replacible nuclide sequences on the DNA chain.
They are physical and they can now be identified right down to their spelling G A T C.
ruveyn
Not really.
you're talking about a "cistron", not a gene.
A cistron is an actual stretch of DNA that codes for a specific protien molecule.
A cistron is a real stretch of DNA that dictates an actual protien molecule.
A gene, however, is the DNA involved in the creation of a characteristic on a living body.
Various stretches of DNA that are not even adjacent to each other and maybe spread out on various chromosomes maybe involved in creating a visible characteristic ( like eye color). These spread out stretches of molecules would be "the gene". But calling them that would be an arbitrary human construct.