Ortholog
Ortholog
Ortholog (pronunciation: /ɔːrˈθɒləɡ/) is a term used in genetics to refer to genes in different species that evolved from a common ancestral gene by speciation.
Etymology
The term "Ortholog" was coined in 1970 by Walter Fitch. It is derived from the Greek words "orthos" meaning "straight" or "correct", and "logos" meaning "word" or "ratio".
Definition
Orthologs are typically the result of a speciation event, where a single species diverges into two. The genes in the resulting species that share a common ancestor are called orthologs. These genes often have the same function in the course of evolution.
Related Terms
- Paralog: Paralogs are genes related by duplication within a genome. Paralogs typically have different functions, but these functions are often related.
- Homolog: Homologs are genes related by descent from a common ancestor. Homologs can be orthologs or paralogs.
- Xenolog: Xenologs are genes that are related because they were acquired by horizontal gene transfer.
- Co-ortholog: Co-orthologs are genes in one species that are orthologous to multiple genes in another species due to gene duplication events.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Ortholog
- Wikipedia's article - Ortholog
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