homeobox

English

Etymology

From homeo- +‎ box.

Noun

homeobox (plural homeoboxes)

1. (genetics) A short sequence of DNA that is shared by several genes involved in the morphogenesis of many organisms.
   • 1999, Matt Ridley, Genome, Harper Perennial, published 2004, page 176:

     When he looked in mice, there it was again: almost exactly the same 180-letter string – the homeobox.

Derived terms

• homeobox gene
• homeodomain