Medical Definition of Gene amplification

1. What Kind of Doctor Do I Need? Slideshow
2. Dental (Oral) Health Quiz
3. Causes of a Heart Attack Slideshow

Gene amplification: Making multiple copies of a gene. Repeated copying of a gene.

Gene amplification plays a role in cancer cells. A tumor cell amplifies, or copies, DNA segments as a result of cell signals and sometimes environmental events.

Amplification can occur in vivo (in the living individual) or in vitro (literally "in glass", or in a plastic vessel in the laboratory).

Need help identifying pills and medications?
Use the pill finder tool on RxList.