gene amplification

noun

, Genetics.

1. an increase in the frequency of replication of a DNA segment.
2. such an increase induced by a polymerase chain reaction.

gene amplification

1. An increase in the number of copies of a gene in a cell, resulting in an elevation in the level of the RNA or protein encoded for by the gene and a corresponding amplification of the phenotype that the gene confers on the cell. Drug resistance in cancer cells is linked to amplification of the gene that prevents absorption of the chemotherapeutic agent by the cell.

gene amplification

1. A process in a cell by which a particular gene is replicated so that more copies are available to produce a protein for the cell's use. For example, the genes that code for proteins involved in ribosomes are amplified early in the process of cell development so that there are sufficient numbers of them to assemble the cell.

Notes

PCR , polymerase chain reaction , can be considered a type of man-made gene amplification process.

Word History and Origins

Origin of gene amplification¹

First recorded in 1970–75