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Genomic regions and features that share a common ancestry. Although there are different definitions of this term, for comparative genomics work, this definition is the simplest. If two genes are said to be homologous with respect to one another, then they share a common ancestral gene. In such a case, these genes are homologs. With this definition, such | Genomic regions and features that share a common ancestry. Although there are different definitions of this term, for comparative genomics work, this definition is the simplest. If two genes are said to be homologous with respect to one another, then they share a common ancestral gene. In such a case, these genes are homologs. '''N.B.''' Homology is ''not'' a synonym for similarity. With this definition, phrases such as “95% homologous” are nonsensical, as genomic regions or features either share common ancestry, or they do not. The only exception would be gene fusion events, whereby a new gene is created by the fusion of two other genes (or domains thereof). | ||
Latest revision as of 01:54, 11 August 2009
Genomic regions and features that share a common ancestry. Although there are different definitions of this term, for comparative genomics work, this definition is the simplest. If two genes are said to be homologous with respect to one another, then they share a common ancestral gene. In such a case, these genes are homologs. N.B. Homology is not a synonym for similarity. With this definition, phrases such as “95% homologous” are nonsensical, as genomic regions or features either share common ancestry, or they do not. The only exception would be gene fusion events, whereby a new gene is created by the fusion of two other genes (or domains thereof).