genophore, n. Biol.
(ˈdʒɛnəʊfɔː(r))
[f. *geno- + -phore.]
A nucleic acid or nucleoprotein structure which carries genetic information in prokaryotes, viruses, and certain organelles. Cf. chromosome n.
| 1961 H. Ris in Canad. Jrnl. Genetics & Cytol. III. 112 Since no general term exists for the physical entity corresponding to a linkage group, I would like to propose ‘genophore’ to serve this purpose. 1969 Brown & Bertke Textbk. Cytol. vi. 96/1 The prokaryon consists of some sort of low-density ground material..and the DNA in probably one strand—the ‘chromosome’, genophore, or genonema (the term to be used here). 1978 Bio Systems X. 72 One may look for prokaryote-like features within the genophores. 1984 Oxf. Surveys Evol. Biol. I. 21 Genophore, DNA, seen as electron dense area, or nucleoid genes of the bacterial genome. |