What is a gene?
The term "gene" was coined over a 100 years ago by Johansson and our understanding of what a gene is has obviously changed over the years with the advent of molecular biological techniques, large scale sequencing programs including ENCODE, etc. Additionally, genetics is a very wide study area comprised of sub-disciplines such as transmission genetics, molecular genetics and population genetics that may not all converge upon a single concept of a gene. You should write a biological essay, not a philosophical essay, to answer the question ‘What is a gene?'. You should also avoid direct quoting of definitions, etc: using your own words shows a greater level of understanding. Pray, L. (2008) What is a gene? Colinearity and transcription units. Nature Education 1(1): 97 Gerstein M. B. et al. (2007). "What is a gene, post-ENCODE? History and updated definition." Genome Research 17 669-681