A segment of DNA that codes for a single protein or polypeptide chain; a functional unit of heredity.
Coined in 1957 by American geneticist Seymour Benzer, combining cis- (on this side) and -tron (unit). It was created to distinguish functional genetic units defined by complementation tests from the structural gene concept.
Cistrons revealed something mind-blowing: one gene can actually make multiple proteins depending on where it starts and stops reading—it's like the same recipe book can produce completely different meals depending on which page you start on!
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