基因是什么? 分子遗传学教学中的体会和理解

随着分子遗传学的飞速发展,基因概念也在不断更新。笔者从事分子遗传学、分子生物学、遗传学教学以及基因与基因表达调控方面研究多年,对基因的本质和概念有较深的理解和认识。回顾了经典基因概念的形成和发展过程,并讨论了真核生物中的RNA遗传和朊病毒复制现象,提出了新的基因概念。认为基因是携带遗传信息的、可遗传的核酸片段或者多肽分子,它们可以编码具功能的RNA分子或多肽分子。

What is a gene——understanding of the gene concept in teaching of molecular Genetics

The gene concept has been developed and challenged by new findings. Here the abstract concept of gene from Mendel, nature of gene and challenging discoveries for traditional gene concept and our own understanding of the gene concept was reviewed. Result proposed that a gene is a heritable nucleic acid or protein, which constitutes a functional molecule of RNA or protein.