Gene
By
Cancer Council NSW
A gene is a section of DNA.
Most genes carry instructions to make proteins, which are essential for the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs. These proteins influence traits such as hair colour, eye colour, and height, as well as the risk of developing certain diseases. Typically, many genes work together to determine a trait or function. Genes are inherited from both parents, and each person has more than 20,000 genes.
Most genes are the same in all people, with less than 1% of our genes varying between individuals. Not all genes are active all the time though – the body can switch them ‘on’ or ‘off’ through a process called gene expression. (see epigenetics/epigenome)
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