Dictionary > Infectious heredity

Infectious heredity

Definition
noun
A non-Mendelian inheritance in which an infectious particle within the cell of the host may bring changes in the phenotype of the host organism, and then pass on the altered phenotype to its offspring
Supplement
Non-Mendelian inheritance is a type of biological inheritance wherein the patterns of phenotypes do not accord with those as expected in Mendelian laws on inheritance. It includes extranuclear inheritance, gene conversion, infectious heredity, genomic imprinting, mosaicism, and trinucleotide repeat disorders.
Infectious heredity is a form of non-Mendelian inheritance in which an infectious particle within the cell of the host may bring changes in the phenotype of the host organism, and then pass on the altered phenotype to its offspring. Infective particles may be in the form of viruses within the cells of the host. Since the viral infection lives in the cytoplasm the transmission of the phenotype to the offspring may be uniparental, i.e. maternal in origin. This form of inheritance may be usually associated with viruses some research findings demonstrated certain bacteria, particularly Wolbachia, are also capable of this process.1
See also:

Reference(s):

1 Dunning Hotopp, J. C., Clark, M. E., Oliveira, D. C., et al. (2007). “Widespread lateral gene transfer from intracellular bacteria to multicellular eukaryotes”. Science. 317 (5845): 1753–6.


You will also like...

Carbohydrates, fats and proteins - dietary sources
A Balanced Diet – Carbohydrates and Fat

Apart from vitamins, the human body also requires high energy sources such as carbohydrates and fats. If you want an ove..

Still freshwater and plants
Still Freshwater & Plants

Plants in lentic habitats have features not found in terrestrial plants. They acquired these features as they adapt to t..

squirrel
Animal Water Regulation

Animals adapt to their environment in aspects of anatomy, physiology, and behavior. This tutorial will help you understa..

Digestion and Absorption of Food
Digestion and Absorption of Food

The gastrointestinal system breaks down particles of ingested food into molecular forms by enzymes through digestion and..

Water Cycle
The Water Cycle

The water cycle (also referred to as the hydrological cycle) is a system of continuous transfer of water from the air, s..

Adaptive Radiation
Adaptive Radiation

The diversification of several new species from a recent ancestral source, each adapted to utilize or occupy a vacant ad..

Related Articles...

No related articles found

See all Related Topics