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homologous Definition

ho·molo·gous (hō mäl′ə gəs)

adjective

  1. corresponding in structure, position, character, etc.
  2. Biol. corresponding in basic type of structure and deriving from a common primitive origin the wing of a bat and the foreleg of a mouse are homologous
  3. Chem.
    1. designating or of a series of compounds each member of which has a structure differing regularly by some increment (as a CH group) from that of the adjacent members
    2. having this relation with another or other compounds of such a series
    3. designating or of a series of elements in the same group or period of the periodic table, as the halogens, actinides, etc.
  4. Immunology
    1. of a serum given to and derived from the same species
    2. of a serum given to another species but for fighting the same bacterium
  5. Med. homoplastic (sense )

Etymology: Gr homologos, agreeing < homos, same + legein, say: see logic

homologous Usage Examples

Preposition: in

  • sequence: The components of the upstream module are highly homologous in amino acid sequence to their downstream counterparts.
  • structure: In molecular replacement you are trying to solve a structure of a molecule using a molecule homologous in structure.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • have: RNAs in the sera of Persian Gulf War veterans have segments homologous to chromosome 22q11.2.
  • encode: Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus ( KSHV ) encodes a cyclin homologous to cellular D-type cyclins, which predominantly activates cdk6.

Modifies a noun

  • recombination: The first area focuses on the mechanism of homologous recombination in plants.
  • superfamily: Proteins with highly similar structures and functions are classed into four main areas ( class, architecture, topology, homologous superfamily ).
  • chromosome: The end result of the first division is two daughter cells each with one of the two homologous chromosomes.
  • transfusion: This amount should be that quantity which is expected to be sufficient to avoid homologous blood transfusions.
  • pair: At lower levels the reported identity levels are still accurate, but the algorithm may fail to detect some homologous pairs.
  • sequence: By transgenic plant DNA strictly depends on homologous sequences in the recipient cells.

Modifying Another Word

  • highly: The components of the upstream module are highly homologous in amino acid sequence to their downstream counterparts.
  • not: A cubic fourfold is called special if it contains a surface which is not homologous to a multiple of a plane section.
  • structurally: These are structurally homologous, particularly in their pore lining residues, and yet their single channel conductances differ by nearly tenfold.
  • partially: Such a protein may be described as " partially homologous " to a number of related structures.
  • very: For very homologous parameters, larger values, e.g. 25-35 are advised.

Used with adjective complement

  • consider: Even one researcher said " At the morphological level feathers are traditionally considered homologous with reptilian scales.