paralogous
(adjective)
having a similar structure indicating divergence from a common ancestral gene
Examples of paralogous in the following topics:
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Homologous Structures
- Homologous sequences are considered paralogous if they were separated by a gene duplication event; if a gene in an organism is duplicated to occupy two different positions in the same genome, then the two copies are paralogous.
- A set of sequences that are paralogous are called paralogs of each other.
- Paralogs typically have the same or similar function, but sometimes do not.
- Paralogous genes often belong to the same species, but not always.
- For example, the hemoglobin gene of humans and the myoglobin gene of chimpanzees are considered paralogs.
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Gene Duplications and Divergence
- Both orthologous genes (resulting from a speciation event) and paralogous genes (resulting from gene duplication within a population) can be said to display divergent evolution.